UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


Ml  -INAK'Y 

OF    i 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


62  0  b 


PRflGTICfilf  METHODS 


-TO- 


Insare  Success 


ESOTERIO  PUBLISHING  Co., 

APPLEGATB,  PLACER  COUSTY, 

CAXIFOKNIA. 

1896. 


To  Parents,  Ministers,  Teachers  and 

Philanthropists,  and  all  who  are 

interested  in  the  elevation  of 

our  race,  these  pages  are 

respectfully  dedicated. 


Mngnum  bonuw, 


PKflCTIGBt 


Success 


DIVERSITY 


ESOTERIC  PUBLISHING  Co,, 

APPLEGATE,  PLACER  COUNTY, 

CALIFORNIA. 

1896. 


COPYRIGHTED,  1893. 

BY 

HIRAM  E.  BUTLER, 


PREFACE. 

To  those  for  whom  this  work  is  especially  in- 
tended we  would  say  that  the  laws  and  methods 
herein  taught  have  been  tested  in  the  lives  and 
habits  of  thousands  of  people,  and  have  proved 
to  be  all  that  we  claim  for  them. 

To  parents  and  teachers  we  wish  to  say,  that 
although  the  thoughts  contained  in  these  pagas 
may  seem  abstruse  cmd  difficult  for  the  young 
and  inexperienced  to  comprehend,  we  know  you 
will  find,  as  we  have,  that  if  you  place  them  in 
the  hands  of  the  young  and  allow  them  to  study 
for  themselves,  they  will  gain  a  more  accurate 
understanding  of  their  practical  value-  than 
will  men  and  women  whose  minds  have  been 
biased  by  education  and  experience.  There- 
fore we  ask  the  friends  of  this  thought  to  aid  us 
in  its  dissemination,  and  thus  help  those  who 
are  ready  to  receive  it  up  to  a  higher  plane  of 
development. 

It  is  our  desire  to  have  these  pamphlets  thor- 
oughly advertised  throughout  the  world.  We 
feel  assured  if  we  had  the  funds  to  issue  a 
large  edition  and  send  a  copy  to  all  periodicals 
published  in  the  English  language,  with  a  circu- 
lar letter  calling  attention  to  our  purpose,  that, 
through  the  notices  and  reviews  which  would 
be  given  it,  Practical  Methods  to  Issure  Success 


PREFACE. 

would  be  brought   to   the   attention   of  many 
hundred  thousand  persons  in  a  short  time. 

As  we  are  not  able  to  meet  this  expense  at 
present,  we  ask  those  who  are  benefited  by  the 
instruction  given  in  this  pamphlet,  and  those 
who  truly  desire  the  uplif tment  of  humanity,  to 
aid  us  by  contributions  to  carry  out  this  plan. 


NOTICED. 

This  booklet  was  intended  for  free  distribu- 
tion, and  to  depend  upon  voluntary  contri- 
butions for  its  support;  but  the  pressure  in 
business  circles  has  been  so  great  that  we  have 
been  forced  to  set  a  price  upon  it  in  order  to 
keep  it  in  circulation.  It  will  be  sold  hereafter 
for  10  cents  a  copy  or  $5  per  100,  where  100  or 
more  are  ordered  at  the  same  time. 

Persons  who  are  out  of  employment  can 
make  good  wages  and  at  the  same  time  be  doing 
a  good  work  by  selling  this  booklet. 


SPECIAL   NOTICE. 

By  reason  of  the  extra  expense  contingent 
upon  the  introduction  of  this  work  through 
"  Correspondence  Chain"  inaugurated,  we  fixed 
the  price  15  cents  for  first  copy  furnished  by 
that  method,  but  any  additional  number  will  be 
supplied  at  regular  rate  mentioned  above,  post- 
paid to  any  point  within  the  Postal  Union. 


(5) 


PROLOGUE. 

MOTTO: — Use  determines  all  qualities,  whether  good 
or  evil,  'the  greatest  use  with  the  least  evil  result  is 
the  best  thing  to  do  under  all  circumstances. 

BEFORE  introducing  our  subject,  we  will  an- 
swer the  question  that  nearly  always  arises  in 
the  mind  when  such  a  suggestion  is  made  as  the 
title  of  these  instructions,  viz.:  What  will  be 
accomplished  by  following  these  instructions? 
Our  answer  is  a  promise,  based  on.  the  personal 
experience  of  many,  many  years  of  unbiased 
examination  into  the  cause  of  successes,  failures, 
inharrnony,  sickness,  and  death.  Having  had 
opportunities  placed  before  us  that  very  few,  if 
any,  persons  ever  had,  we  can  speak  from  that 
unfailing  authority,  KNOWLEDGE,  and  we  promise 
you  who  peruse  the  thoughts  hereinafter  given, 
and  follow  carefully  all  their  suygestiojis,  that 
after  two  years  of  faithful  adherence  thereto  you 
WILL  NEVER  BE  SICK;  YOU  WILL  NEVER  NEED 
MONEY  OR  FRIENDS;  WHATEVER  YOU  UNDERTAKE 
WILL  BE  SUCCESSFUL;  YOUR  MENTAL  CAPACITY 
WILL  CONTINUE  TO  INCREASE  AS  LONG  AS  YOU 
LIVE;  YOUR  DOMESTIC  RELATIONS  WILL  BE  VERY 
HAPPY,  AND  YOUR  CHILDREN  WILL  BE  SUPERIOR 
TO  ALL  OTHERS;  AND  WHEN  YOU  LEAVE  THIS 
WORLD  THE  PEOPLE  WILL  LONG  REMEMBER  YOU, 
AND  BE  THANKFUL  THAT  YOU  HAVE  LIVED. 

These  promises  are  of  such  an  extraordinary 
nature  that  they  may  call  forth  doubt  and  criti- 
cism; to  these  we  do  not  object,  but  would  ask 
you  not  to  condemn  anything  until  you  know 
it  to  be  unworthy.  The  habit  of  denouncing 


8        PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSUKE   SUCCESS. 

things  that  you  know  nothing  about  dwarfs  the 
intellect,  stupefies  the  sensibilities,  and  retards 
normal  growth;  therefore,  deny  nothing,  no 
matter  how  absurd  it  seems,  until  you  know  bet- 
ter. 

la  this  course  of  instructions  we  shall  make  no 
effort  to  exhaust  the  subject-matter  treated; 
on  the  contrary,  we  intend  to  deal  with  general 
principles  and  laws,  and  depend  upon  your  own 
good  common  sense  to  carry  them  out  properly 
to  their  •  legitimate  conclusion.  This  work  is 
based  on  laws  governing  natural  forces,  which 
are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  always  furnish  con- 
clusive evidences  to  the  practitioner  every  step 
of  the  way,  so  that  no  one  will  need  to  depend 
on  our  word  but  for  a  very  short  time  (say 
three  months)  before  receiving  good  and  suffi- 
cient evidence  of  the  truth  of  what  we  claim. 
Therefore  we  are  re  lieved  from  that  lonr;  and 
tedious  method  in  this  line  that  was  necessary 
to  those  grand  souls,  Herbert  Spencer,  Charles 
Robert  Darwin,  and  all  others  of  that  class  of 
thinkers  and  the  world's  pioneers.  They  spent 
many  years  over  a  single  thought,  collecting  rll 
the  evidences  available  before  giving  it  to  tho 
world,  because  the  truth  of  their  statements 
depended  on  those  evidences.  The  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  what  we  say  is  immediately  obtain^ 
able  by  following  the  instructions  we  herein  give; 
therefore,  \ve  proceed  at  once  to  teach  the 
methods,  leaving  you  to  judge  of  their  merits 
by  t'\e  light  of  your  own  experience,,  and  your 
own  interior  and  reasoning  mind.  The  many 
testimonials  of  those  who  have  tried  them,  which 
can  be  found  in  this  magazine  of  April  and  May, 
1891,  are  proof  enough  to  convince  a:\y  reason- 
able mind  of  their  true  value. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      9 

Our  methods  are  not  an  unnatural  stimulus, 
bringing  about  a  hot-house  growth,  as  some 
would  have  you  believe,  but  are  intended  to  re- 
move the  hindering  causes,  and  allow  nature  to 
do  her  work  in  accordance  with  her  own  laws. 

The  question  has  often  been  asked  me,  If 
these  are  natural  laws  that  would  bring  about 
such  marvelous  results,  why  have  they  not  been 
known  and  applied  before  now  ?  I  may  be  able 
to  answer  this  when  you  can  tell  me  why  the 
great  utility  of  steam  and  electricity,  as  well  as 
many  other  important  discoveries  and  inven- 
tions, was  not  known  prior  to  the  19th  century. 

Our  race  has  a  development  transcending  that 
of  prior  ages;  through  that,  you,  dear  reader, 
have  an  active  desire  for  a  higher  and  beticr 
condition;  that  heartfelt  desire  is  a  prayer  that 
is  heard  and  answered  by  the  source  from  which 
we  derive  our  intelligence.  Again,  it  is  a  law 
in  the  economy  of  nature,  that  there  cannot  ex- 
ist a  general  desire  for  anything  which  is  un- 
attainable. These  instructions  are  the  answer 
to  the  silent  prayer  of  hundreds  of  thousands 
now  living. 

The  pernicious  habit  of  our  age  is  that  of  look- 
ing backward,  instead  of  following  the  true 
method  of  nature  in  its  evolutionary  processes 
of  evolving  new  methods  out  of  every  advancing 
step  up  the  ladder  of  progress;  and  there  are 
many  now  interested  in  the  old  books  and  teach- 
ings of  a  rapidly  dying  race,  under  the  cognomen 
of  "The  Occult,"  and  the  misnomer  of  "The- 
osophy."  Do  you  think  that  those  teachings 
of  "The  Wisdom  (?)  Religion"  will  elevate  you, 
when  it  has  by  its  use  degraded  its  people  to 
where  the  Chinese  and  Hindus  are  to-day?  To 
ask  this  question  is  enough;  your  own  reason 


10      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SCTCCESS. 

will  answer  it.  "  A  tree  is  known  by  its  fruits." 
The  only  reliable  sources  to  look  back  to  are 
those  fow  reformers  who  laid  the  foundation 
principles  which  have  contributed  to  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  white  races  to  t  ir  present  pre-emi- 
nence above  all  other  races.  It  is  wise  for  us  to 
cull  c  'it  of  t  .e  past  all  the  useful  truths  we  can 
find,  discriminating  carefully  between  the  erro- 
neous and  'he  true  and  useful,  but  always  re- 
membering that  nature  is  constantly  developing 
higher  capabilities,  and  that  your  mind  is  there- 
fore more  capable  than  many  of  the  "great 
minds"  of  the  past,  —or  may  be,  by  a  proper 
course  of  training.  Therefore  we  ask  you  to 
la  aside  all  antiquated  ideas,  submit  all 
thoughts  presented  to  you  to  the  crucible  of 
your  own  reason,  and  decide  for  yourself. 

Wo  hope  no  one  will  pick  out  certain  points 
in  these  teachings  and  follow  them,  and  then 
condemn  the  teachings  because  they  obtain  only 
partial  results.  If  you  desire  all  the  results, 
follow  out  all  the  methods.  Do  not  let  any  one 
say,  "  09  I  know  that,"  and  not  do  it,  because 
it  is  so  small  a  matter  with  which  we  start;  re- 
member, it  is  the  little  things  that  make  up  our 
life,  and,  although  you  may  have  partially  fol- 
lowed out  some  part,  with  perhaps  unfavorable 
results,  stop  and  think,  and  follow  me  through, 
before  you  decide.  See  if  your  prejudice 
against  it  is  not  based  on  reasoning  similar  to 
this:  once  when  you  were  very  warm,  therefore 
uncomfortable,  you  put  on  a  heavy  overcoat, 
with  the  result  that  you  were  even  more  uncom- 
fortable; so  when  cold  weather  comes  I  suggest 
that  you  put  on  your  overcoat,  and  you  say, 
"0,  I  tried  that  once,  and  I  was  more  uncom- 
fortable than  before."  We  are  apt  to  "jump 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       11 

at  conclusions  "  without  taking  under  consider- 
ation changing  circumstances  or  the  power  there 
is  in  the  object  behind  the  act.  Now,  we  propose 
to  build  a  great  structure,  whose  top  shall  reach 
to  heaven,  and  whose  expanse  shall  take  in  all 
the  inhabitants  of  coming  generations;  there- 
fore, we  begin  on  bedrock,  and  no  stone  must 
be  left  out  of  the  foundation. 

The  germs  from  which  grew  all  knowledge 
possessed  in  human  life  are  Sensation  and  Ap- 
petite. These  were  the  original  guides  to  the 
continuity  of  life,  and  as  long  as  they  were  nat- 
ural they  were  accurate  guides;  but  on  the  first 
transgression  of  the  laws  governing  organic  life, 
pain  was  introduced  as  a  safeguard  against  dis- 
solution (self-destruction);  then  came  to  be 
manifest  the  two  great  actuators  of  man,  Pain 
and  Pleasure.  Pain  was  the  result  of  SIN 
against  nature,  either  of  themselves  or  from 
another,  —  an  enemy;  pleasure  was  harmonious 
action  of  the  senses  with  nature;  the  former  be- 
came a  probe,  —  a  scourge  to  drive  us  into  obedi- 
ence with  laws, — and  the  latter  a  bribe  to  lead  us 
forward  in  self-preservation.  Herein  was  laid 
the  foundation  of  fear  of  pain,  and  desire  for 
pleasure;  herein  was  laid  the  arena  of  effort,  and 
afterward  cf  struggle.  Pleasure  and  pain  alike 
are  caused  by  the  motion  of  Life;  either  are  ex- 
hausters of  life  and  weakening  to  the  organism; 
in  the  intensity  of  either,  no  one  can  endure  very 
long.  We  can  endure  longer  in  pleasure  than 
in  pain,  because  it  is  harmonious  action;  in  the 
latter,  it  is  inharmonious. 

All  nature  is  motion,  — is  a  song  of  harmony; 
therefore,  moderate  pleasure  is  productive  of 
continuous  vigor,  health.  Health  is  a  normal 
state;  so  the  first  thing  to  be  sought  for  is 


l2      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

health,  or  harmony  with  nature,  which  is  the 
same  thing,  —  one  being  the  cause,  the  other 
the  effect. 

We  wish  it  to  be  understood  by  our  friends 
and  those  that  are  "otherwise,"  that  this  course 
of  instruction  is  not  intended  to  be  new  thought. 
Nearly  all  that  we  shall  say  here  has  been  said 
in  our  writings  and  lectures  in  THE  ESOTERIC, 
and  in  books  published  by  us,  but  associated 
with  other  ideas.  We  intend  here  to  focalize 
the  most  essential  thoughts  for  practical  use. 
We  have  been  traversing  a  circle  (the  laws  of 
regeneration)  for  four  years;  now  we  wish  to 
epitomize  and  finish  this  circle  of  basic  prin- 
ciples, and  then  leave  them  entirely  for  others 
to  work  out  and  elaborate.  We  know  their 
value,  and  that  nothing  of  great  importance  can 
be  accomplished  until  these  are  incorporated 
into  the  life  of  the  people.  We  know  that  when 
this  is  accomplished  there  will  be  a  foundation 
laid  that  will  permanently  lift  our  race  onto  a 
much  higher  plane  of  action,  thought,  and  ca- 
pacity; therefore,  the  persistency  with  which 
we  have  repeated  them. 


LESSON. 

MOTTO:  — God  by  mind  (thought,  word,)  created  the 

Universe. 

Every  application  of  natural  law  to  the  gov- 
ernment and  development  of  the  physical  body 
reacts  upon  the  mind.  Also,  every  effort  in  the 
right  direction  ramifies  into  all  departments  of 
life,  producing  desirable  results. 

The  first  essential  step  is  to  free  the  body  and 
mind  trom  the  bondage  of  habit;  this  is  no  easy 
matter  unless  we  begin  just  right,  then  it  be- 
comes a  pleasurable  task.  The  proper  point  at 
which  to  begin  is  the  kind  and  quality  of  food; 
begin  to  "eat  to  live",  and  not  "live  to  eat"; 
in  doing  this  we  govern  our  eating  by  our  rea- 
son. We  have  said  that  a  normal  appetite  is  a 
correct  guide  to  the  needed  supply  of  nourish- 
ment to  the  body,  and  so  it  is;  but  who  has  a 
normal  appetite?  Are  there  any  in  our  present 
civilization?  No,  not  one.  Then,  to  find  it  in- 
tellectually and  establish  it  physically,  you  must 
abstain  from  all  articles  of  food  not  absolutely 
essential  to  you.  Perhaps  I  may  now  be  speak- 
ing to  one  who  is  a  slave  to  intoxicating  drinks; 
if  "so,  you  will  say  at  once,  "  I  know  I  ought  to 
stop  that,  but  I  cannot."  It  may  not  be  strong 
drink,  but  some  other  habit  or  habits.  Well, 
then,  do  not  begin  with  that;  begin  at  the  table, 
:arst  laying  aside  tea  and  coffee.  You  can  do 
that?  Yes.  After  a  week  or  two,  lay  aside  the 
use  of  condiments  in  your  food,  such  as  pepper, 
spices,  much  salt,  etc. :  they  do  not  nourish 
you;  they  only  create  an  abnormal  appetite. 
Doing  this  will  strengthen  your  will  so  that  yov» 


14      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

can  proceed  to  lay  aside  pie  and  cake,  and  then 
stop  the  use  of  pork.  Remember  the  nature  of 
every  animal  is  in  its  flesh.  See  what  an  insa- 
tiable appetite  the  swine  has;  you  are  trying  to 
get  control  of  your  appetite:  then  stop  eating 
the  very  embodiment  of  it.  By  the  time  you 
have  succeeded  thus  far  your  desire  for  fer- 
mented liquors  will  be  under  ycnir  control,  and 
abstemiousness  in  eating  and  drinking  will  begin 
to  be  a  delight  to  you.  It  will  produce  in  you 
a  feeling  of  power  heretofore  unknown,  and  a 
desire  to  proceed  further  will  manifest  itself; 
then  you  are  ready  to  undertake  *the  more  diffi- 
cult task  of  ^overcoming  those  habits  that  here- 
tofore have  enslaved  you. 

We  referred  to  pork  as  the  embodiment  of 
alimentiveness.  By  very  little  observation  you 
will  find  that  appetite  and  passion  are  twins; 
therefore,  we  are  fully  persuaded  that  a  very 
large  per  cent  of  the  lowest  and  most  vicious 
habits  which  degrade  our  race  arises  in  the  use 
of  pork.  It  will  be  observed  that  after  you 
have  eaten  a  hearty  meal  where  pork  is  one  of 
the  principal  viands,  you  still  have  an  unsatis- 
fied craving;  you  may  resort  to  tobacco,  which 
partially  satisfies  for  P  time,  but  soon  you  want 
something  else;  then  intoxicating  drink  or  opium 
is  called  into  requisition,  or  worse,  illicit  asso- 
ciation for  sensual  gratification:  so  this  appetite 
enters  into  all  departments  of  life.  The  same 
is  largely  true  with  regard  to  the  use  of  all  kinds 
of  flesh  food.  With  reference  to  abstemiousness 
in  eating,  please  indulge  in  a  little  metaphysical 
physiology.  The  mind  governs  digestion.  It 
has  been  observed  that  sudden  and  groat  fright, 
sadness,  or  joy,  has  often  arrested  digestion,  and 
has  even  been  the  cause  of  doath.  Criminals 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       15 

have  been  sentenced  to  die  by  poison,  and  col- 
ored water  administered  in  the  name  of  poi- 
son has  caused  their  death.  Mental  healers 
have  actually  performed  remarkable  cures 
through  the  psychic  power  of  the  mind.  The 
majority  of  physicians  know  that  the  confidence 
of  the  patient  in  the  remedy  is  as  potent  as  the 
chemicals  administered.  It  is  observable  that 
a  radical  change  in  kind  of  thought  will  produce 
a  chiiige  in  the  appetite,  causing  a  desire  for 
unusual  kinds  of  food.  Why  is  this?  It  is  be- 
cause  the  mind  has  a  direct  relation  to  chem- 
istry; certain  qualities  are  essential  to  certain 
kinds  of  thought,  out  of  whose  elements  the 
thought  is  formed.  Every  seed  will  produce 
its  own  peculiar  structure  when  planted,  and 
certain  chemical  combinations  are  essential  to 
its  growth,  without  which  that  seed  could,  not 
produce  its  structure.  The  kind  and  quality  of 
the  plant  is  always  known  by  its  form;  there- 
fore, we  conclude  that  certain  elements  in 
proper  relation  must  be  present  in  the  system, 
or  the  form  will  not  be  manifest.  Thought  is 
form,  and  therefore  must  be,  and  is,  formed  of 
something.  It  is  found  that  one  who  labors 
either  with  hands  or  brain  is  necessitated  to 
feed  the  body  in  proportion.  Intense  mind  ac- 
tivity exhausts  the  body,  and  food  is  the  means 
of  supply;  it'  this  be  so,  and  it  is  a  fact  well 
known  to  all,  then  it  follows  that  whatever 
thought  is  kept  active  while  taking  and  digest- 
ing food  will  cause  the  body  to  assimilate  the 
proper  elements  to  produce  like  thought, 
Hence  if  the  thought  paramount  while  eating  is 
to  develop  power  of  self-control,  that  will  be  the 
function  of  mind  that  will  be  abundantly  sup- 
plied, and  will  rapidly  grow  and  exert  its  influ- 


16      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

ence  in  the  direction  desired.  Volumes  might 
be  written  on  the  evidences  and  arguments  in 
support  of  this  very  important  thought,  but  the 
mind  that  practices  all  these  methods  of  self- 
culture  will  perceive  and  comprehend  them. 

We  quote  the  following  from  J.  H.  Kellogg, 
M.  D.,  Domestic  Hygiene  and  Rational  Medicine, 
page  361,  "  Food  and  Diet ":  — 

"  We  need  not  dwell  upon  the  importance  of 
this  department  of  hygiene,  as  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  this  subject  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant of  all  which  relate  to  the  physical  welfare 
of  human  beings.  Since  the  human  body  is  made 
of  what  is  received  into  it  in  the  form  of  food, 
it  is  evident  that  the  character  of  a  person's  food 
will  determine  his  own  character.  Experiments 
have  again  and  again  proved  this  to  be  true  of 
animals,  and  it  can  be  no  less  true  of  human 
beings.  A  few  facts  bearing  on  this  point  may 
not  be  without  interest  to  the  general  reader. 

"It  has  been  found  that  the  bones  of  hogs 
fed  on  food  which  had  been  colored  with  mad- 
der, a  peculiar  coloring  matter,  were  stained 
the  same  color. 

"When  herbivorous  animals  are  fed  on  ani- 
mal food,  their  flesh  acquires  an  unpleasant  and 
unpalatable  flavor. 

"M.  Monclar,  a  French  agriculturist,  has 
been  experimenting  upon  this  subject,  and  finds 
that  he  can  flavor  the  flesh  of  animals  at  pleas- 
ure, by  feeding  them  upon  various  kinds  of  food 
and  employing  a  variety  of  strong  flavoring  sub- 
stances. He  was  led  to  investigate  the  subject 
by  the  observation  that  hares  killed  in  a  worm- 
VTOod  field,  and  eggs  laid  by  hens  which  had 
eaten  diseased  silkworms,  had  such  a  nauseous 
taste  that  no  one  could  eat  them.  These  facto 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       17 

accord  well  with  an  account  which  we  published 
some  years  ago  of  the  poisoning  of  a  family  by 
eating  chickens  which  had  fed  upon  potato-bugs. 
A  few  years  ago,  also,  a  case  was  reported  in 
which  a  family  in  Ohio  were  poisoned,  some 
persons  fatally,  by  eating  chickens  which  had 
feasted  upon  the  carcass  of  a  cow  that  died  of 
milk-sickness. 

"  FOOD- ELEMENTS  NOT  FOOD.  — By  means  of 
numerous  experiments  at  the  expense  of  num- 
berless dogs,  rabbits,  pigeons,  cats,  and  other 
animals,  it  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  that 
while  the  various  elements  mentioned  are  food- 
elements,  they  are  not  in  themselves  food,  either 
when  taken  alone  or  when  artificially  mixed. 

"  Dogs  fed  on  albumen,  fibrine,  or  gelatine  — 
the  constituents  of  muscle  —  died  in  about  a 
month.  The  same  results  followed  when  they 
were  fed  on  the  const  tuents  of  muscles  arti- 
ficially mixed.  A  goose  fed  on  the  white  of 
egg  died  in  twenty-six  days.  A  duck  fed  on 
butter  starved  to  death  in  three  weeks,  with 
the  butter  exuding  from  every  part  of  its  body, 
its  feathers  being  saturated  with  fat.  Dogs  fed 
on  oil,  gum,  and  sugar  died  in  four  or  five 
weeks.  A  goose  fed  on  gum  died  in  sixteen 
days;  one  fed  on  sugar  in  twenty-one  days;  two 
that  had  only  starch  lived  twenty-four  and 
twenty-seven  days.  Dogs  fed  on  white,  fine- 
flour  bread,  lived  but  fifty  days;  dogs  fed  on 
brown  military  bread,  made  of  the  whole  grain, 
were  maintained  in  perfect  health;  dogs  fed  on 
the  so-called  inorganic  elements,  the  salts  which 
are  extracted  from  flesh,  died  sooner  than  those 
which  had  nothing  at  all." 

The  importance  of  food  and  mental  conditions 
and  surroundings  for  refinement  and  growth  is 


18      PRACTICAL   MSTECI^  TO   INSURE  SUCCESS. 

evidenced  in  the  case  of  many  of  the  emigrants 
to  this  country.  Of  instances  well  known  to  all 
are  especially  the  Irish  emigrant,  who  arrives 
here  very  coarse  and  low  down  in  the  scale  of 
manhood,  but  whose  children  have  scarcely  a 
trace  of  resemblance  to  their  parents.  It  can- 
not be  questioned  that  the  diet,  habit  of  thought, 
and  surrounding  scenery  is  the  cause  of  the  re- 
fining miracle  wrought  in  these  children.  This 
is  a  most  powerful  suggestion  of  the  necessity 
of  —  first,  beautiful  and  harmonious  surround- 
ings; second,  cultured  associations;  and  third, 
proper  care  about  the  kind,  quantity,  and  quality 
of  food  taken  by  us.  As  a  help  in  this  matter 
of  food,  we  take  the  liberty  of  copying  the  fol- 
lowing tables  from  Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg's  valuable 
work,  above  quoted:  — 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.       19 


Table  of  Nutritive  Value*  of  Various  Articles  of 
Food. 


^ 

h 

02 

33 

* 

% 

M 

1 

c? 

p 
| 

1 

1 

ff 

•«! 

ARTICLES. 

B 

P** 

CD 

3 

ii 

»3. 

Bread.  .  . 

37. 

8.1 

47.4 

3.6 

l.G 

2.3 

63. 

Wheat  flour.  .  . 

15. 

10.8 

663 

4.2 

2. 

1.7 

85. 

Barley  meal.  .  . 

15. 

6.3 

69.4 

4.9 

2.4 

2. 

8). 

Oatmeal  

15. 

12.6 

58.4 

5.4 

5.6 

3. 

85. 

Rye  meal  

15. 

8. 

69.5 

3.7 

2. 

1.8 

85. 

Indian  meal.  . 

14. 

11.1 

64.7 

0.4 

8.1 

1.7 

86. 

Bice,  

13. 

6.3 

79.1 

0.4 

8.1 

0.5 

87. 

Peas  

8.3 

23.8 

56.7 

2. 

2.1 

2.1 

86.7 

Beans.  

12.5 

30.8 

46.3 

2. 

1.9 

3.5 

84.5 

Lentils..  

11.5 

25.2 

54. 

2. 

2.6 

2.3 

86.1 

Arrowroot  

18. 

82. 

82. 

Potato  

75. 

2.1 

18.8 

3.2 

0.2 

0.7 

25. 

Sweet  potato.. 
Carrot.-     . 

67.5 
83. 

1.5 
1.3 

17. 
8-4 

10.2 
6.1 

0.3 
0.2 

2.6 
1. 

31.6 
17. 

Beet 

83.5 

1  5 

0  8 

10  5 

3.7 

16.5 

Parsnip  

82. 

LI 

9*.6 

5.8 

0.5 

1. 

18. 

Cabbage  

91.4 

0.9 

4.1 

0.6 

5.6 

Turnip 

91. 

1.2 

5.1 

2.1 

0.6 

9. 

Sugar  

5. 

95. 

95. 

Treacle  

23. 

77. 

77. 

New  milk..  .  .  . 

86. 

4.1 

5.2 

3.9 

0.8 

14. 

Cream  

66. 

2.7 

2.8 

26.7 

1.8 

34. 

Skim-milk.... 

88. 

4. 

5.4 

1.8 

0.8 

12. 

Buttermilk.... 

88. 

4.1 

6.4 

0.7 

0.8 

12. 

Lean  beef.  .  .  . 

72. 

19.3 

3.6 

5.1 

28. 

Lean  mutton. 

72. 

1\3 

4.9 

4.8 

28.' 

Veal  .... 

63. 

16.5 

15.8 

•4.7 

37. 

Poultry  

74. 

21. 

3.8 

1.2 

26. 

Whitefish.  ... 

78. 

18.1 

2.9 

1. 

22. 

Salmon..  

77. 

16.1 

5.5 

1.4 

23. 

Entire  egg  

74. 

14. 

10.5 

1.5 

26. 

White  of  egg.  . 

78. 

20.4 

1.6 

22. 

Yolk  of  egg... 

52. 

16. 

30.7 

1.3 

48. 

Bread-fruit.... 

63. 

3. 

14. 

17. 

Banana  

74. 

4.8 

19.6 

0.6 

0.8 

25.8 

Date  

33. 

9. 

[8. 

67. 

PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS. 


Table  of  Nutritive  Values  of  Various  Articles  of 
Food  —  Continued. 


ARTICLES. 

Water  

Albumen  .  .  . 

5? 
1 

00 
{3 

1 

4 

fo 

CO 

— 

sr 

Total  Nutri- 
tive Elements. 

Acid. 
Grape  
Apple  
Pear 

80. 

85. 
84 

0.8 
0.2 
0  2 

0.5 

2.7 
3  2 

13.8 
7.6 

7 

0.3 

0.3 
0  3 

15.1 
19.9 
10  7 

Peach  
Plum  
Mulberry  
Blackberry..   . 
Cherry  
Apricot.     ..   . 
Gooseberry..   . 
Strawberry  .  .  . 
wild 
Raspberry  .... 

Currant. 

85. 
82. 
84.7 
86. 
75. 
85. 
85. 
87. 
87. 
86. 
83. 
83 

0'.4 
0.2 
0.4 
0.5 
0.9 
08 
0.4 
0.3 
0.6 
0.5 
0.5 
04 

6.3 
5.7 
2. 
1.4 
2.3 
5.9 
0.9 
0.1 
0.2 
1.7 
1.1 
03 

1.5 
3.6 
9. 
4.4 
13. 
1. 
8. 
7.2 
8.2 
4.7 
3.6 
4  7 

0.7 

0.4 
0.6 
0.5 
0.4 
0.6 
0.8 
0.3 
0.7 
0.7 
0.5 
0.3 
0  5 

8.6 
10.1 
11.9 
6.7 
16.8 
8.5 
9.6 
4.6 
4.6 
7.4 
5.5 
59 

It  has  been  observed  that  health  and  happi- 
ness are  the  result  of  harmony  with  the  laws 
governing  our  life.  At  this  point  of  your  expe- 
rience you  will  observe  that  there  are  two  kinds 
of  sensation,  each  having  its  antipode,  viz.: 
"pleasurable  and  painful;  sensations  of  the  phys- 
ical body,  and  pleasure  and  pain  of  the  mind. 
While  mind  and  the  sensations  of  the  body  are 
inseparable  in  their  normal  conditions  in  the 
ordinary  person,  yet  one  or  the  other  always 
leads  and  governs. 

It  has  been  accepted  by  the  leading  minds 
that  happiness  is  the  aim  of  life;  therefore,  in 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  of  the  United 


PRACTICAL    METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       21 

States  we  have  these  words:  "We  hold  these 
truths  to  be  self-evident:  that  all  men  are  cre- 
ated free  and  equal,  and  are  endowed  by  their 
Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  among 
which  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  hap- 
piness." This  is  true;  but  in  the  pursuit  have 
they  obtained  it  ?  It  is  claimed  by  those  who 
have  made  a  study  of  these  matters  that  there 
is  only  a  small  percentage  of  happiness,  while 
the  capital  stock  is  of  the  opposite.  Was  this 
the  design  of  our  Creator?  Oh  no!  yet  these 
laws  were  in  consonance  with  the  design.  The 
cause  of  this  failure  to  realize  happiness  is,  that 
the  people  have  had  their  minds  on  the  physi- 
cal, and  regarded  that,  instead  of  the  intelli- 
gence, as  the  real  self.  This-  is  delusive. 

All  pleasure  arising  in  the  physical  body  has 
its  reaction  upon  the  mind,  producing  pain  in 
that  direction,  because  it  is  a  disturbance  of  the 
normal  action  of  life.  A  wise  soul  once  said  to 
me:  "I  do  not  like  to  have  any  sensation  in  my 
body,  for  when  the  body  is  normal  it  has  no 
sensation."  This  is  true.  Is  there  any  sensa- 
tion in  your  hand  when  it  is  lying  quietly  by 
your  side?  No;  but  if  a  fly  lights  upon  it  you 
feel  it.  If  you  are  pricked  with  a  pin,  it  hurts. 
Why?  Because  the  life  is  disturbed  in  its  normal 
action.  There  is  no  taste  in  the  moutn,  unless 
something  of  a  foreign  nature  is  taken;  then  the 
sense  of  taste  is  excited,  and  with  it  nature 
makes  conditions  to  adapt  itself  to  the  work  of 
taking  care  of  it.  So  with  every  sensation;  it 
is  a  disturbance  of  the  life,  —  life  in  motion,  — 
and  this  is  exhaustion. 

In  advanced  souls  there  is  a  constant  desire 
for  —  what?  While  looking  wholly  to  the  senses, 
they  try  in  every  conceivable  way  to  gratify 


22      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

them,  and  sometimes  form  destructive  habits 
thereby,  but  every  effort  in  that  direction  brings 
pain  and  disability,  mental  and  physical;  then 
that  desire  must  arise  from  some  need  in  the 
mind.  When  you  begin  these  practices  of  ig- 
noring the  senses  except  as  informants  of  con- 
ditions needing  the  mind's  attention,  and 
constantly  regard  the  body  as  a  chemical  labo- 
ratory through  which  you  have  access  to  all  the 
qualities  of  nature,  and  the  senses  as  the  senti- 
nels that  inform  you  of  conditions  and  demands, 
and  you  the  MASTER  —  tho  mind  controlling  — 
then  you  will  begin  to  know  what  happiness  is. 
The  act  of  controlling  your  own  body  will  create 
within  you  a  consciousness  of  power  that  is  both 
pleasurable  and  profitable,  —  but  seeking  pleas- 
ure through  the  senses  is  always  disastrous. 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  man  is  to  seek 
his  pleasure  through  the  gratification  of  the 
mental  tendencies,  while  the  animal  lives  wholly 
in  the  gratification  of  the  appetites  and  pas- 
sions. You  want  to  be  more  than  merely  an 
animal?  Then  live  in  the  mind.  Your  animal 
body  is  yours,  not  you,  but  it  is  calculated  to 
serve  you  in  the  most  important  ways;  therefore 
it  must  be  well  cared  for,  much  more  than  a 
valuable  horse,  for  its  sphere  of  service  is  not 
only  to  carry  you  around,  but  to  adapt  you  to 
the  uses  in  the  material  world  and  supply  you 
with  the  elements  and  conditions  for  thought, 
methods  for  obtaining  knowledge,  and  for  grow- 
ing capacity  to  think  and  act. 

Few  persons  realize  to  what  extent  their  bodies 
are  deranged  by  abuses  and  neglect.  It  is  a 
very  rare  thing  to  find  a  person  whose  body  is  in 
proper  working  order.  Most  people  take  more 
food  than  they  can.  utilize,  and  nature,  in  its 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      23 

effort  to  harmonize  and  adjust  itself,  either 
causes  wasteful  habits  in  the  system  or  dis- 
orders the  digestive  functions.  The  mental 
disorder  of  the  dyspeptic  is  well  understood, 
and  is  evidence  that  any  disorder  in  eating  or 
drinking  will  react  upon  the  mind.  In  order 
to  actually  increase  mind  powers,  these  many 
apparently  small  obstacles  must  be  removed. 
In  the  effort  to  do  this  you  accomplish  just  as 
much  in  every  other  direction.  Disordered  sen- 
sations are  deceitful  guides,  and  as  they  are 
generally  of  this  character,  a  stoic  habit  of  life 
is  necessary,  until  all  have  been  brought  ii-to 
harmony  so  that  they  will  report  truthfully. 


SECOND  LESSON. 
METHODS' FOR  OBTAINING  PERFECT  HEALTH. 

MOTTO:  —  In  the  unyielding  will  is  health;  in  the  weak 
will  is  sickness  and  death. 

The  following  methods  necessarily  serve  as  a 
combination  of  the  ways  and  means  for  strength- 
ening every  faculty  of  the  mind,  as  well  as  for 
the  health  of  the  body.  Every  practical  physi- 
cian knows  that  disease  can  be  arrested  in  a 
great  degree  by  active  energy  of  the  mind,  put 
into  practice  in  the  physical  body.  It  is  well 
known  that  one  can  throw  off  disease  by  pos- 
itive action,  and  that  people  who  are  discouraged 
and  have  little  or  no  will  of  energy  are  sick  all 
the  time.  Sometimes  housewives  get  into  a 
discouraged  condition,  and  through  that  alone 
are  under  the  doctor's  ca,re  nearly  all  the  time; 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  observed  that  persons 
who  are  very  active  "have  no  time  to  be  sick.'' 
If  they  get  up  in  the  morning  feeling  poorly 
they  will  rally  their  will  and  begin  to  rush 
around;  you  ask  them  "  Aren't-  you  foeling  well 
to-day?"  "Oh  yes;  I  am  all  right,"  or,  "I 
cannot  be  sick,"  etc.  This  thought,  "I  cannot 
be  sick, "is  the  vital  center  of  the  systems  of 
"Mental  Healing,"  under  their  various  names; 
because  if  one  can  CONFIDENTLY  RESIST  DISEASE, 
and  knows  how  to  resist,  he  will  always  con- 
quer. This  can  be  carried  so  far  as  to  actually 
overcome  the  effect  of  poisonous  drugs.  A  gen- 
tleman in  business  in  Philadelphia  told  me  the 
following  story:  "The  druggist  next  door,  by 
mistake,  took  a  powerful  narcotic.  According  to 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.       25 

human  reasoning  he  knew  he  must  die,  but  his 
will  would  not  yield  to  it,  so  he  would  walk 
the  floor  until  exhausted,  then  drop  into  a  chair; 
feeling  the  stupor  creeping  over  him,  he  would 
jump  to  his  feet,  and  with  all  the  will  he  could 
rally,  stamp  across  the  floor  until,  his  strength 
failing,  he  would  again  drop  into  a  chair,  and 
as  he  felt  the  poison  beginning  to  get  control,  he 
would  again  stamp  up  and  down  the  floor;  so  he 
persisted  until  he  conquered  the  drug  and  saved 
his  life.  Proverbs  xxiii.  7,  says  of  a  man,  '*  For 
as  he  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he."  Yes, 
true;  whatever  we  can  believe  without  doubt, 
so  it  is. 

Paul  said  of  this  principle  of  unwavering  be- 
lief, *'  Faith  is  the  SUBSTANCE  of  things  hoped 
for,  the  EVIDENCE  of  things  not  seen."  There  is 
a  method  by  which  this  substance  may  be  ob- 
tained, and  when  we  have  obtained  it  we  will 
have  the  EVIDENCE  in  our  mental  consciousness. 
The  methods  given  in  the  rules  of  dietetics  in  the 
first  lesson  are  the  first  essential  steps  in  this 
direction,  and  the  following  rules  of  action,  like 
the  former,  will  furnish  their  own  reasons  for 
following  them  out  beyond  those  just  men- 
tioned. 

In  order  to  conquer  disease,  we  must  deny  its 
right  or  power  over  us;  for  example,  if  you  have 
pain  that  retards  certain  movements  of  the  body 
or  limbs,  those  are  the  movements  you  should 
make  in  as  positive  a  way  as  possible  without 
injury.  If  you  feel  dull  and  inactive,  take  active 
exercise.  Keep  clearly  defined  in  your  mind  the 
difference  between  the  physical  senses  and  the 
intellectual  consciousness.  Remember  you  are 
superior  to  and  can  control  every  bodily  sensa- 
tion; with  this  thought  in  mind,  you  can  cause 


26      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

the  body  to  obey  your  will,  even  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  disease. 

We  often  hear  reference  made  to  imagination 
as  a  prolific  source  of  disease;  if  this  be  true, 
why  can  the  imagination  not  be  made  to  serve  as 
a  means  of  cure?  If  it  be  true  in  one  case,  it 
certainly  must  be  in  the  other;  united  with  firm 
belief,  it  will  kill  or  cure  any  one. 

THE  CARE  OF  THE  SKIN.  —  The  skin  is  full  of 
little  pores,  or  tubes,  from  which  a  large  amount 
of  the  effete  matter  of  the  body  exudes.  With 
active  persons,  two  or  three  days  is  sufficient  to 
form  a  coating  of  this  acid  and  fatty  substance 
combined,  similar  to  a  coat  of  varnish;  a  little 
perspiration  causes  a  decomposition  of  this  sub- 
stance—  a  rotting  —  which  produces  an  offen- 
sive odor.  This  not  only  closes  the  pores  of  the 
skin  and  produces  a  languid  feeling  in  body  and 
mind,  but  there  springs  into  existence  an  insect 
parasite  called  demodex  folicularum.  We  will 
not  attempt  to  describe  in  detail  these  savage 
little  brutos,  with  eight  legs  and  sharp  claws, 
sharp  lancets  for  puncturing  and  burrowing  the 
skin,  producing  an  itching,  and  sometimes  erup- 
tions similar  to  the  disease  common  in  dogs, 
called  the  mange.  It  does  not  require  very  long 
neglect  of  proper  bathing  to  produce  these 
results.  We,  so  to  speak,  breathe  through  the 
pores  in  the  skin,  and  if  they  were  all  closed  we 
would  die  almost  as  quickly  as  it  the  lungs  were 
deprived  of  air.  These  pores,  or  tnbes,  are 
provided  at  tho  outer  surface  with  muscles  ca- 
]  iblo  of  opening  and  closing  them;  they  open 
when  the  body  is  warm,  and  close  when  it 
is  cold.  When  we  are  cold,  we  draw  them  to- 
gether to  prevent  the  heat  from  escaping  and 
the  cold  from  entering,  and  when  they  are 


PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS.      27" 

healthy  and  in  good  working  order,  we  are  not 
apt  to  "catch  cold  "  or  to  chill  quickly  when 
the  cold  air  strikes  us.  Use  is  most  essential, 
in  order  to  keep  these  muscles  so  they  will  serve 
us  as  nature  intended  they  should.  Like  all 
other  muscles,  they  cease  to  obey  the  will  if  they 
are  not  used  for  a  long  time.  Persons  who  con- 
tinue in  a  regular  temperature  do  not  have  oc- 
casion to  use  them  at  all.  If  th^arm  be  carried 
in  a  sling  and  not  used  for  a  long  time,  when  we 
try  to  use  it  we  find  is  only  by  repeated  effort  that 
we  succeed;  so  it  is  with  persons  living  in  a  regu- 
lar temperature,  they  cease  to  be  able  to  close 
these  pores,  and  when  a  cold  wind  blows  on  them 
they  are  chilled  and  take  severe  colds.  Where  the 
pores  are  inactive,  persons  will  find  that  getting 
into  a  cold  bed  in  winter,  or  touching  the  body 
with  cold  water,  or  allowing  the  cold  air  to  blow 
on  them  produces  a  shock  to  the  system  they 
can  hardly  endure. 

To  teach  you  how  to  gain  control  of  these 
muscles,  avoid  colds,  keep  off  contagious  dis- 
eases, and  conquer  and  take  control  of  the  body, 
the  following  advice  is  given:  — 

1st:  You  should  never  sleep  in  a  heated  room, 
and  there  should  always  be  an  open  window  ad- 
mitting plenty  of  fresh  air,  NO  MATTER  HOW 

COLD  THE  WEATHER. 

2nd:  You  should  never  sleep  in  any  garment 
worn  during  the  day.  The  beds  should  be  well 
aired  and  kept  fresh  by  frequent  exposure  to 
the  sun. 

3rd:  You  should  never  sleep  in  a  room  where 
the  sun  cannot  enter. 

4th:  Always  take  off  all  clothing  and  rub  your 
body  over  with  your  hands  before  putting  on 
your  night  robes.  If  you  are  of  the  class  so 


28      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS. 

very  sensitive  to  cold,  etc.,  you  should  make  it 
a  rule  to  take  a  bath  every  morning  immediately 
on  rising. 

Have  at  hand  a  coarse,  dry  towel  and  a  woolen 
cloth.  Each  of  these  should  be  long  enough  to 
admit  of  your  taking  an  end  in  either  hand,  one 
over  your  shoulder,  the  other  behind  you.  Take 
water  of  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  or 
as  nearly  so  as  practicable;  wring  the  woolen 
cloth  out  of  this  water  just  so  it  will  not  drip, 
then  wet  the  neck  and  the  back  with  it;  rub 
that  part  of  the  body  dry  and  warm  with  the 
coarse  towel,  then  wet  the  front  of  the  body  and 
dry  it  in  a  similar  manner.  Next  the  limbs 
and  feet,  first  one,  then  the  other,  rubbing  one 
dry  and  warm  before  wetting  the  other;  lastly 
the  arms.  Now  rub  the  body  with  the  hands 
until  all  indications  of  dampness  are  gone  and 
the  skin  feels  smooth  and  warm;  do  this  vigor- 
ously, then  move  about  the  cold  room  enough 
to  have  the  cold  air  strike  every  part  of  the 
body,  v  This  morning  cold  water  bath  may  be 
preceded  by  a  tepid  water  bath,  with  soap  freely 
used,  after  which  use  the  cold  water  as  given 
above.  The  warm  water  cleansing  bath  is  not 
essential  oftener  than  once  a  week,  unless  you 
eat  considerable  meat  and  perspire  very  freely, 
then  twice  a  week  is  the  outside  limit.  When 
you  get  so  the  cold  water,  the  cold  air,  or  the 
bed  feels  good  to  you,  then  these  cold  "sponge 
baths "  should  be  taken  every  second  morning 
only,  and  on  alternating  mornings,  in  place  of 
the  wet  cloth,  rub  the  body  with  a  dry  towel  and 
take  the  cold  air  bath.  Ladies  whose  vitality 
is  low  might  better  take  these  water  baths  not 
oftener  than  every  third  morning. 

This  process  calls  into  activity  these  muscles 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       29 

of  the  skin  and  frees  them  from  the  effete  and 
oily  substance  that  forms  a  coating  over  them. 
The  use  of  a  flesh-brush  when  the  warm  bath  is 
taken  for  special  cleansing  is  recommended. 
The  philosophy  of  this  process  is  this:  while  the 
body  is  comfortably  warm,  no  effort  is  made  to 
close  the  pores,  but  when  the  cold  air  strikes 
the  body,  they  are  closed  by  the  inclination  to 
draw  the  body  together.  If  they  have  not  been 
used  for  this  purpose  for  a  long  time,  we  cannot 
close  them,  and  the  cold  air  rushes  in  and  chills 
the  system  and  diseases  the  flesh;  that  is  "tak- 
ing cold."  We  know  that  if  we  cut,  bruise,  or 
burn  the  flesh,  and  expose  the  diseased  part  to 
cold,  we  "take  cold  in  it,"  and  it  becomes  in- 
flamed and  fevered  and  is  very  sore.  This  is 
in  consequence  of  the  corpuscles  becoming 
chilled  on  account  of  these  muscles  being  dis- 
abled or  gone,  and  the  cold  cannot  be  shut  out. 
The  cold  water  in  the  cold  room  causes  us  to 
close  the  pores  and  puts  them  in  order  by  use 
to  serve  the  purpose  nature  designed. 

These  cold  sponge  (or  rather  woolen  cloth) 
baths  can  be  practiced  by  the  most  delicate  per- 
son without  danger  of  unfavorable  results,  if 
followed  wholly  ;  but  if  you  undertake  them  in  a 
room  where  there  is  a  heater  or  a  stove  you  will 
be  very  sure  to  take  cold,  and  perhaps  a  fatal 
one,  for  when  you  put  on  the  cold  water  you 
close  the  pores;  that  is  a  strain,  and  as  soon  as 
you  feel  the  warm  air  strike  you,  you  let  down, 
i.  e.,  you  allow  these  pores  to  open,  the  cold  air 
rushes  in,  and  you  take  cold  (are  diseased). 
Again,  ladies  are  apt  to  take  their  baths  with  a, 
portion  of  the  body  covered,  which  has  the  same 
effect;  the  part  that  is  warm  causes  the  rest  of 
the  body  to  relax,  then  a  cold  is  the  result;  Jmt 


30      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

if  the  entire  body  is  exposed  to  the  cold  at  once, 
the  condition  of  guard  is  maintained,  and  you 
are  safe  from  cold. 

Then  let  all  persons  of  a  sedative  habit  dress 
immediately  and  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  go 
out  and  take  a  rapid  walk,  so  as  to  cause  quick, 
full  breathing,  and  on  their  return  take  half  a 
tumbler,  or  even  a  tumblerful,  of  cold  water 
before  eating  breakfast;  better  still,  take  the 
water  before  the  walk.  Persons  of  active  physi- 
cal habits  might  better  take  the  cold  water  and 
then  go  out  into  the  air  and  breathe  deep  and 
full  for  three  or  four  minutes,  so  as  to  throw  off 
all  the  carbonic  acid  gas  from  the  lungs. 

We  hope  none  of  our  readers  will  reason  as 
some  do,  that  if  a  little  is  good  a  great  deal  is 
better,  and  thus  be  led  to  carry  these  instruc- 
tions to  extremes;  for  remember  always,  that 
the  only  evil  is  a  good  thing  overdone  or  per- 
verted, and  that  a  thing  potent  for  good  is  just 
as  powerful  for  evil.  It  is  very  difficult  to  give 
even  these  teachings,  to  all  without  some  mis- 
using them;  for  some  are  energetic  and  inclined 
to  overdo,  while  others  are  timid  and  cannot  be 
persuaded  to  do  enough,  and  to  half  follow  these 
instructions  is  as  productive  of  evil  as  to  overdo 
them. 

Practice  decisiveness  of  thought  and  action; 
that  is,  let  every  motion  be  made  for  a  purpose 
well  denned  in  your  own  mind,  and  study  to 
make  as  few  motions  in  everything  you  do  as 
possible;  this  will  greatly  aid  your  thought  to 
form  the  habit  of  careful  deliberation.  Guard 
well  your  words,  that  you  say  nothing  except 
what  you  mean  and  fully  comprehend  yourself, 
and  as  you  express  a  thought,  think  of  the  mean- 
ing of  every  word,  and  use  no  more  words  than 


METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       31 

is  necessary  to  convey  that  idea.  This  will 
create  confidence  in  your  intelligence  in  the 
mind  of  your  hearer.  Avoid  all  confirmatory 
efforts.  They  create  a  conviction  of  weakness 
and  falsity.  We  often  hear  such  expressions  as 
these:  "If  you  don't  believe  it,  I  can  prove  it  by 
such  and  such,"  etc.,  or,  "I  mean  what  I  say," 
to  say  nothing  of  those  much  worse  forms,  the 
effort  to  confirm  by  an  oath  or  the  wish  of  evil 
upon  one's  self  if  it  be  not  true.  Do  not  even 
argue  the  case,  unless  opposed.  State  the  fact 
quietly,  and  if  occas.on  requires,  give  reasons 
in  as  few  words  as  will  convey  your  thought, 
but  at  the  same  time  be  sure  to  express  your 
ideas  so  fully  as  not  to  be  misunderstood.  Avoid 
haste;  be  calm  and  deliberate  in  all  your  acts, 
thoughts,  and  words;  never  allow  yourself  to  be 
excited  under  any  circumstances.  Avoid  too 
hearty  laughter;  it  weakens  the  power  of  the 
mind.  Do  not  be  too  slow  of  speech,  first  think 
what  you  want  to  say,  then  say  it,  without 
halting  or  hesitation.  Study  the  tone  qualities 
of  your  voice.  A  person  living  wholly  in  the 
excited  animal  senses  will  pitch  the  voice  very 
high.  You  who  think  as  MEN  AND  WOMEN,  tone 
your  voice,  or  modulate  it  to  suit  the  distance  of 
your  hearers,  and  consciously  speak  TO  THE  IN- 
TELLIGENCE AND  NOT  TO  THE  SENSES  OF  THE 
AUDIENCE.  There  are  very  many  who  judge  of 
character  by  the  tone  qualities  of  the  voice.  A 
thoughtful  person  meeting  one  whose  voice  is 
pitched  in  a  high  key  at  once  loses  all  confidence 
in  and  seeks  to  get  away  from  him;  it  grates 
on  the  finer  sensibilities  and  causes  great  repul- 
sion. 

A  person's  mind  is  always  affected   by  his 
manner  of  expression;  therefore,  if  you  want  to 


32      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

be  thoughtful,  always  speak  thoughtfully.  There 
is  so  much  more  in  this  than  I  can  express. 
We  will  further  urge  the  consideration  of  this 
matter  by  asking  you  TO  OBSERVE  THE  TONE  OP 
YOUR  OWN  VOICE  when  you  are  with  some  one 
you  greatly  respect  and  love,  who  is  grave  and 
very  intelligent,  and  you  may  thereby  learn 
your  own  normal  tone  of  voice;  then  keep  it 
under  all  circumstances,  with  the  proper  changes 
to  indicate  mental  states,  emphasis,  etc.  This 
is  taught  in  ordinary  elocutionary  lessons,  of 
which  all  persons  ought  to  know  something,  110 
matter  what  their  sphere  of  life  may  be.  The 
physical  drill  of  the  Monroe  School  of  Oratory 
is  of  great  value  to  all  classes  of  persons.  ' 

Avoid  all  feeling  of  pride;  it  is  the  expression 
of  folly.  Carry  your  body  with  dignity,  act  as 
if  you  were  a  king,  but  never  forget  that  you 
are  only  a  man  or  a  woman,  the  same  as  the 
beggar  you  pass  on  the  street.  Always  carry 
your  head  erect,  chin  slightly  down,  body 
straight,  with  sternum  (or  breast)  to  the  front, 
shoulders  back,  step  elastic  and  positive,  but 
not  hurried;  let  your  steps  be  measured  and 
regular.  Avoid  swaying  along,  with  your  hands 
like  one  swimming,  but  try  to  glide  along  with 
as  little  motion  of  the  body  as  possible.  Re- 
member, every  form  is  the  expression  of  a 
thought;  a  thief  crouches;  a  weak  mind  allows 
the  body  to  swing  to  and  fro;  and  a  treacherous 
person  wiggles  through  the  world  like  a  snake; 
so  every  motion  expresses  the  inner  thought, 
and  also  affects  and  controls  the  thought  to  suit 
the  motion.  This  is  so  potent  that  no  matter 
how  much  art  culture  one  has,  if  they  persist  in 
any  evil,  it  will  manifest  itself  in  the  movements 
of  the  body. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       33 

The  above  suggestions  are  of  greater  im- 
portance as  a  means  of  culture  than  is  usually- 
realized,  and  when  you  begin  with  conquering 
habits,  and  gaining  control  of  the  appetites  and 
passions,  these  will  come  naturally  with  very 
little  thought.  From  the  habit  of  ordinary  lit- 
erature, each  of  the  above  should  have  many 
pages  to  impress  their  importance,  but  our 
motto  is  BREVITY.  We  wish  only  to  suggest 
thoughts  and  methods  for  you  to  work  out. 
Think  this:  EVERY  THOUGHT  HAS  A  FORM,  AND 

EVERY  FORM  IS  A  THOUGHT  EXPRESSED,  AND 
EVERY  THOUGHT  HAS  TWO  MODES:  ACTION  AND 
REACTION,  —  ACTION  UPON  OTHERS,  REACTION 
UPON  OURSELVES. 


THIRD   LESSON. 

TO   PUT  THE    DIGESTION   IN   ORDER. 

MOTTO  :—To  live  for  other  eyes,  is  a  life  of  hypocrisy. 
The  house  I  live  in  is  polished  marble  decked  with 
the  most  exquisite  ornaments.  I>am  proud  to  keep  it 
looking  beautiful.  Is  it  clean  and  pure  within  ¥ 

ALLEGORY:  —  There  was  once  a  very  wealthy 
man  v/ho  had  one  son  and  one  daughter,  for  each 
of  whom  he  built  a  house.  He  employed  the 
greatest  architect  on  earth,  placing  in  his  hands 
unlimited  means  with  which  to  build  the  most 
beautiful  structures  possible.  This  wise  builder 
exhausted  all  of  earth's  facilities  of  art  and  me- 
chanics, and  the  structures  were  transcendently 
beautiful  and  convenient  in  their  every  arrange- 
ment. When  possession  was  given  the  young 
people,  they  conceived  the  idea  of  these  beauti- 
ful mansions  being  places  for  sensu^lis  pleasure, 
and  so  used  them  until  every  room  in  them  was 
filled  with  the  debris  of  their  revelries.  They 
thought  not  of  cleansing  them,  until  the  decay- 
ing substances  so  filled  them  that  all  their  pleas- 
ures were  but  the  ravings  of  delirium,  and  the 
emanations  from  within  discolored  the  walls 
even  to  the  outer  surface. 

That  young  man  or  young  woman  may  be 
you,  dear  reader,  and  that  most  beautiful  struc- 
ture your  body.  Now,  is  it  not  well  to  com- 
mence house-cleaning?  If  it  is  a  lesson  you 
have  never  yet  learned,  we  will  give  you  a  few 
practical  suggestions  in  this  direction. 

The  habit  is  prevalent  of  eating  wholly  for  the 
gratification  of  the  appetite,  gorging  the  alirnen* 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.       35 

tary  canal  with  the  flesh  of  animals,  and  all 
kinds  of  pastry,  and  too  often  with  intoxicating 
beverages,  including  tea,  coffee,  and  tobacco, 
all  of  which  create  a  morbid  appetite.  But  how 
seldom  you  think  of  the  mass  of  corruption  in 
your  body,  caused  by  all  those  delicate  leaves 
that  line  the  intestines  being  coated  over  by  the 
slimy  matter  taken  as  food,  and  remaining  there 
until  decomposition  sets  in,  the  breath  becomes 
heavy  with  the  odor,  and  the  emanations  of  the 
skin  are  so  laden  with  the  fumes  of  the  matter 
that  should  have  passed  off  with  the  excretions 
from  the  body  many  days  before,  that  any  sen- 
sitive person  who  is  truly  keeping  their  house 
in  order  can  smell  them  as  they  sit  with  you  in 
perchance  the  elegant  drawing-room,  church,  or 
railroad  car.  We  have  frequently  passed  ele- 
gantly dressed  ladies  on  the  streets  of  proud 
Boston,  even  in  winter- time,  from  whom  came 
a  stench  that  caused  us  to  wish  to  hold  our  nose 
and  hurry  past  them.  Persons  who  live  the 
same  as  they  become  so  accustomed  to  the  vile 
odor  that  they  do  not  notice  it.  These  persons 
frequently  wash  the  body,  and  the  mere  sugges- 
tion to  them  of  un cleanness  would  be  an  insult; 
but  their  skin,  once  fair,  has  become  dark,  the 
pores  closed,  and  their  temper  morbid  and  ir- 
ritable. With  women,  paint  and  powder  cover 
up  these  defects,  and  in  their  "fix-up  "  they  look 
clean  and  beautiful;  but  within  they  are  putrid 
with  diseases,  such  as  dyspepsia,  constipation, 
and  a  host  of  other  diseases  arising  therefrom; 
and,  generally  speaking,  the  more  abundant  the 
wealth,  the  more  thoroughly  are  they  disordered. 
The  man  or  woman  who  has  to  keep  up  excessive 
exercise  has  less  of  the  unessentials,  and  through 
activity  works  off  all  (or  the  greater  portion)  of 


*>6      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

this  matter,  so  that  the  poor  man  or  woman 
really  enjoys  the  best  health. 

The  methods  for  cleansing  the  body  should  be 
heroic,  in  order  at  the  same  time  to  gain  control 
of  the  appetite  and  sensations. 

1st:  We  advise  fasting;  a  young  person  can 
fast  the  first  time  48  hours,  an  elderly  per- 
son of  "regular  habits"  had  better  only  fast  24 
hours  the  first  time.  After  the  24-hour  fast, 
wait  a  week  or  ten  days,  then  take  the  48-hour 
fast;  after  the  48-hour  fast,  wait  anywhere  from 
two  to  four  weeks,  then  take  a  5-day  fast.  Dur- 
ing the  times  of  fasting  take  nothing  into  the 
mouth  to  start  the  pancreatic  juice  (or  cause  the 
mouth  to  water).  In  fact,  take  nothing  into 
the  mouth  but  pure,  cold  water,  otherwise  you 
may  injure  the  stomach.  It  will  be  observed 
that  after  the  first  24-hour  fast  it  is  much  easier 
to  take  the  second,  and  after  the  second,  the 
third,  notwithstanding  in  the  majority  of  cases 
it  will  excite  the  appetite  to  intense  activity, 
and  great  difficulty  will  be  experienced  by  some 
in  controlling  it  sufficiently  to  abstain  from  eat- 
ing too  much.  Herein  you  have  a  splendid  drill 
for  the  will;  and  it  always  follows  that  they 
who  have  the  greatest  need  of  development  in 
will-power  have  the  greatest  difficulty  in  con- 
trolling the  appetite. 

To  prevent  the  hardening  of  the  feces  in  the 
colon  it  is  well  to  flush  it  with  warm  water  after 
fasting,  be  the  fast  24  hours,  48  hours,  or  5 
days,  but  in  the  latter  case  it  is  well  to  do  this 
three  or  four  times  during  the  fast,  the  proper 
time  for  it  being  on  retiring  at  night.  * 

*  Dr.  Wilford  A.  Hall,  23  Park  Row,  New  York  City, 
has  published  a  pamphlet  on  this  subject  on  which 
he  claims  priority,  aiid  requires  persons  to  sign  papers 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      37 

In  order  to  wash  out  all  effete  matter,  it  is 
well  to  inject  into  the  body  at  least  two  quarts 
of  water,  expelling  it  as  fully  as  possible;  then 
take  a  pint  into  the  colon  and  hold  it  all  night, 
and  it  will  all  be  evaporated  through  the  walls 
and  taken  up  in  the  water  passages.  The  ex- 
pelling of  all  the  warm  water  taken  first  is 
wherein  the  benefits  will  arise.  Those  who  do  not 
fully  understand  this  would  do  well  to  send  to 
Dr.  Hall  for  his  pamphlet.  His  system  has 
many  merits,  especially  for  stout  people,  but 
we  would  advise  caution  in  its  continuous  use, 
not  to  use  too  frequently  or  too  thoroughly. 

In  cases  of  prenatal  diseases,  they  can  be  en- 
tirely eradicated  from  the  system  by  a  fast  of  12 
to  14  days.  During  these  fasts  a  person  should 
be  active  all  the  time,  and  hold  a  positive  men- 
tal attitude  toward  the  bodily  conditions,  keep- 
ing active  the  difference  between  your  own  real 
self,  the  thinking,  conscious  person,  and  the 
sensating  animal  body.  On  breaking  the  fasts, 
or  at  least  the  longer  ones,  we  advise  that 
you  first  take  corn,  roasted  brown  all  through, 
and  either  chew  at  least  one  half-pint  of  it  or 
grind  it  in  a  coffee-mill  and  eat  it;  roasted 
wheat,  such  as  is  sold  for  dyspeptics,  will  do. 
This  should  be  taken  two  hours  before  breaking 
your  fast  with  anything  else,  unless  you  take 
tomato  with  the  corn.  In  case  the  stomach 
sours,  take  some  salt  fish,  which  will  sweeten 
the  stomach  and  put  it  in  proper  condition. 
This  coarse  corn,  or  wheat,  or  granula  will 
serve  as  a  scrubbing-brush  to  scour  off  the  coat- 
promising  secrecy.  A  friend  presented  it  to  me  and  I 
thoughtlessly  sig'ned  it;  but  on  reading  it  I  found  I 
already  had  all  the  essential  facts  relative  to  his  meth- 
ods; therefore  do  not  feel  properly  bound  to  secrecy. 


38      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

ing  from  the  alimentary  canal  and  put^vitality 
into  those  leaves  that  line  the  cavity,  and  will 
open  up  the  lacteals,  so  that  whatever  is  eaten 
will  fully  nourish  the  body.  The  continuous 
habit  of  eating  creates  inaction  in  the  secretory 
glands,  but  after  you  have  ceased  eating  for  five 
days  you  start  a  thorough  reverse  action.  The 
fatty  material  is  near  the  surface  of  the  body; 
when  you  stop  eating,  that  is  first  used  up,  and 
much  of  the  effete  matter  is  returned  to  the  ali- 
mentary canal,  and  really  forces  the  lacteals 
open,  working  the  same  as  with  a  sponge.  You 
pour  water  containing  sediment  through  a 
sponge,  and  the  pores  will  fill  and  the  sponge 
will  coat  over  until  no  more  will  go  through, 
but  reverse  the  sponge,  pour  the  water  through 
the  other  way  and  it  will  cleanse  the  pores  of 
the  sponge.  So  it  will  do  with  your  digestive 
apparatus,  and  at  the  same  time  it  will  cleanse 
and  purity  the  blood,  and  enable  the  system  to 
throw  off  whatever  diseased  states  may  exist  in 
the  body;  will  restore  your  appetite  to  the  con- 
dition of  youthful  purity,  and  if  the  fast  is  prop- 
erly conducted  will  place  all  the  senses  within 
reach  of  your  will.  You  should  not  be  over- 
active  during  this  time.  Persons  engaged  in 
physical  labor,  or  in  business  that  requires  much 
mental  strain,  might  better  take  a  vacation  for 
this  purpose. 

Most  persons  form  a  habit  of  eating  not  only 
certain  articles  of  food,  but  also  certain  quan- 
tities at  regular  intervals;  this  causes  a  demand 
for  the  continuance  of  the  food  supply,  without 
regard  to  the  actual  needs  of  the  body,  and  this 
habit  must  be  overcome  before  the  body  will 
serve  you  according  to  the  demands  made  upon 
it  by  occasional  extra  activity;  then  is  the  time 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       39 

persons  break  down.  Sometimes  this  occurs 
when  it  entails  immense  losses.  It  will  be  ob- 
served after  a  fast  that  your  appetite  will  enable 
you  to  take  on  flesh  very  rapidly.  Then,  by 
careful  examination  of  your  mental  clearness  and 
physical  buoyancy,  you  should  determine  what 
amount  of  flesh  you  feel  best  to  carry,  and  when 
you  have  as  much  flesh  as  gives  you  the  best  re- 
sults, lessen  the  quantity  of  food, — not  the  qual- 
ity,—for  you  should  study  to  take  such  quanti- 
ties as  bring  the  best  results.  You  should  feed 
your  body  as  the  fireman  does  his  boiler;  when 
the  pressure  of  steam  is  low,  he  feeds  the  fire, 
but  when  the  pressure  is  high,  and  not  much 
work  to  be  done,  he  withholds  the  fuel,  and  so 
should  you. 

In  the  cases  of  Dr.  Tanner  and  Succi,  they 
lost  about  three-quarters  of  a  pound  per  day, 
but  when  they  began  eating  they  put  on  one 
and  one-half  pounds  per  day,  —  just  double  the 
amount  of  the  loss  during  the  fast.  This  evi- 
dences how  perfectly  one  can  take  control  of  the 
exhaust  and  supply  of  the  flesh  of  his  body. 
When  you  have  this  control  of  your  body,  if  you 
are  forced  into  extreme  mental  or  physical  strain 
(or  both),  you  can  then  supply  the  extra  de- 
mand, so  that  marvelous  results  will  be  obtained. 
The  habit  of  following  the  dictates  of  the  senses 
is  far  more  common  than  is  usually  believed. 
Persons  may  control  themselves  enough  to  stop 
eating  as  directed,  and  drag  the  body  around 
like  the  arm  hanging  by  your  side,  never  throw- 
ing the  will  of  energy  into  it,  but  in  such  cases 
very  little  of  the  most  important  results  will  be 
obtained.  You  should  handle  the  body  with  the 
will  decisively,  but  at  the  same  time  give  it 
plenty  of  rest. 


40      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

Remember  the  ORDER  of  these  instructions, 
and  follow  them  in  their  order,  not  letting  go  of 
one  while  following  the  other.  If  it  is  found 
that  the  cold  bath  chills  the  body  too  much,  then 
hurry  through  it,  and  go  out  and  take  rapid 
exercise  until  warm.  I  would  advise  nervous 
persons,  who  usually  suffer  considerably  with 
the  cold,  not  to  take  these  fasts  in  cold  weather; 
spring  and  fall  are  really  the  best  times  for  all 
persons,  and  the  spring  is  the  best  of  any  period. 

During  all  these  drills,  from  the  first,  a  con- 
stant restraint  should  be  kept  over  the  sex  pas- 
sions, for  in  some  cases  the  most  exhausting 
activity  will  arise  in  the  course  of  these  exer- 
cises; but  in  case  of  no  action  at  all  before  or 
during  the  first  part  of  these  exercises,  thought 
should  be  given  to  produce  enough  to  generate 
life  for  the  use  of  the  body.  Remember,  that 
function  has  but  two  uses;  first,  to  generate  life, 
which  is  the  seed;  this  retained  in  the  body  will 
be  re-absorbed  and  will  supply  it  with  new  and 
increased  life;  second,  to  produce  offspring,  when 
such  is  desired.  v»  More  will  be  given  on  this  sub- 
ject in  the  next  lesson. 

The  Hindu  Stoic  finds  that  by  binding  fertile 
soil  on  the  outer  surface  over  the  stomach  while 
fasting,  the  body  will  draw  nourishment  from 
it  to  supply  its  needs.  This  shows  that  the 
outer  surface  of  the  body  can  absorb  nourish- 
ment the  same  as  the  inner.  It  is  the  natural 
method  to  take  into  the  stomach  the  seeds  ot 
cereals,  properly  prepared;  the  digestive  func- 
tions absorb  from  these  the  necessary  elements 
to  repair  the  constant  waste  going  on  in  the 
body,  therefore,  you  should  use  discretion 
and  take  nothing  into  the  stomach  which  is 
impure  or  not  adapted  to  supply  the  needs  of 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      4x 

the  body,  otherwise  you  injure  it.  And  you 
should  keep  the  inner  pores  open  and  clean,  the 
same  as  the  outer  surface  of  the  body;  for  the 
lacteals  are  the  same  as  the  pores  of  the  outer 
skin,  and  all  nourishment  is  by  absorption. 
Therefore,  lay  aside  that  vague  deceptive  dream 
that  eating  to  please  the  appetite  is  the  absolute 
and  unchangeable  condition  of  life.  You  are 
more  than  an  animal,  yet  they  eat  more  cor- 
rectly than  you  do.  Shame  for  19th  century 
civilization,  that  all  the  sciences  advance  except 
those  methods  that  make  man  more  than  brute 
beasts!  There  are  sciences  for  horticulture  and 
zoological  culture,  but  none  for  viticulture  of 
the  human  race.  This  need  we  wish  herein  to 
supply;  for  we  consider  it  of  greater  importance 
than  all  the  other  sciences  put  together. 


FOURTH  LESSON. 

"REGENERATION"  THE  SOURCE  OF  LIFE. 

*Now  are  we  the  sons  of  God."  1  John  Hi.  2.  You  are 
a  little  God  (His  son  or  daughter),  having  power 
within  your  oivn  body  to  create  another,  or  others,  or 
re-create  self  and  "  renew  your  youth  as  the  eagles." 
Ps.  ciii.  5.  I  have,  through  thin  wonderful  body,  ac- 
cess to  all  the  resources  of  nature.  Why  shoidd  it 
grow  old  and  infirm  and  die?  Having  complete  con- 
trol of  it,  lean,  'and  "  I  will  be  what  I  will  to  be." 

Subject  for  thoughtful  musing  and  study:  — 
Why  is  it  that  the  food  of  man  is  the  seed  of  vege- 
tation, such  as  wheat,  corn,  rice,  and  oats? 
Because  the  life  is  in  the  seed,  and  we  take  it 
into  our  bodies  and  absorb  it  for  the  renewal  of 
our  own  life,  which  is  constantly  being  exhausted 
through  activity.  Eggs  are  the  seed  of  the 
birds  that  lay  them,  and  the  flesh  of  birds  or 
beasts  is  the  product  of  the  seed  of  their  species. 
The  nut  is  the  quintessence  of  the  tree,  and  the 
seed  that  would  produce  another  like  the  parent 
tree. O What  does  the  spider  do  with  that  im- 
mense amount  of  food?  In  proportion  to  his 
size  it  would  be  equivalent  to  your  eating  a 
whole  sheep  for  breakfast,  an  ox  for  dinner,  and 
a  yearling  calf  for  supper.  What  becomes  of  all 
that  nourishment  taken?  In  the  summer,  when 
they  are  active,  look  for  one  of  them  that  has  an 
immense  sack  attached  to  it,  catch  it,  and  you 
will  often  find  that  the  sack  is  many  times 
larger  than  the  spider,  which  is  really  very  small. 
Open  the  sack  carefully,  and  you  will  find  hun- 
dreds of  diminutive  spiders  in  it.  These  are  the 
products  of  that  food  taken.  Again,  watch  the 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       43 

worm  feeding  on  the  green  leaf,  of  which  it  eats 
great  quantities.  Its  body  is  almost  a  hollow 
sheath  filled  with  the  sap  of  the  leaves.  It  ab- 
sorbs the  nourishing  elements  by  which  it  in- 
creases in  dimensions,  and  as  this  fluid  element 
is  absorbed  it  passes  off  dried.  The  food  taken 
by  you  is  transformed  into  a  fluid,  and  so  passes 
into  the  colon.  On  its  way  through,  the  body 
absorbs  the  elements  proper  for  it,  and  in  the 
colon  it  is  finally  hardened  and  passes  off,  the 
same  as  in  the  worm.  The  worm  has  noD  the 
organs  you  have;  it  is  in  itself  nothing  but  a  di- 
gestive apparatus.  After  the  worm  has  finished 
its  work  in  that  direction  it  lays  itself  away  in 
the  cocoon  and  sleeps  till  spring,  when  it  takes 
on  wings,  comes  out  and  flies  around,  feeds  and 
lays  its  eggs,  and  then  dies,  as  if  all  its  life  was 
deposited"  in  them.  There  are  insects  which, 
when  the  male  and  female  come  together  she 
absorbs  all  the  substance  his  body  contains,  and 
he  dies,  leaving  only  a  dry  shell.  She  forms 
her  young  from  the  elements  absorbed  and  gives 
to  them  all  the  life  she  has,  and  also  dies. 
Watch  all  insects,  and  you  will  see  that  their 
busy  life  is  spent  in  gathering  material  (food) 
out  of  which  to  produce  their  kind,  and  then 
they  either  die  or  are  eaten  by  some  superior. 
Look  at  all  life;  vegetable,  insect,  animal,  and 
man  alike  are  living  only  to  obtain  food  to 
nourish  the  body,  produce  offspring,  and  gain 
power  to  care  for  and  bring  their  offspring  to 
maturity;  then  they  die,  and  that  life  produced 
through  their  organism  lives  on  in  other  organ- 
isms (their  children),  more  in  number,  but  the 
same  in  kind;  but  other  creatures  feed  on  the 
life  of  these;  i.  e.,  they  take  their  life  and  the 
substance  that  contains  it  and  create  out  of  it 


44      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SITCCKSS. 

their  own  higher  species.  Finally,  man,  feeding 
011  all  below  him,  receives  this  life  that  has  been 
carried  up  through  these  varied  forms,  and 
obeys  the  injunction  of  Genesis  to  "multiply." 
They,  among  all  the  animals,  are  the  only  ones 
that  waste  the  life  produced  in  them  for  mere 
sensational  gratification,  therefore,  they  die 
almost  as  fast  as  they  multiply. 

It  is  evident  irom  the  foregoing  thab  the  gen- 
eration of  life  is  the  method  of  creation  of  the 
higher  from  the  lower,  in  gentle  gradations, 
from  the  life  in  every  drop  of  water  up  to  man. 
Man  being  possessed  of  a  mind  and  varied  capa- 
cities of  using  this  life  outside  of  the  mere  pro- 
duction of  his  kind,  we  may  reasonably  inquire 
if  there  be  a  way  of  utilizing  this  life  for  the  in- 
crease of  self  in  all  its  parts  and  functions.  We 
know  that  those  who  are  overworked  have  little 
or  no  desire  for  the  act  of  procreation,  also  that 
minds  under  constant  mental  strain  seldom 
think  of  it.  This  evidences  that  man  can  util- 
ize this  life-element  generated  in  the  body, 
either  in  the  action  of  the  body  or  of  the  mind. 
If  this  be  true,  and  we  think  all  persons  of  ex- 
perience or  thought  will  agree  that  it  is,  then  it 
is  certain  that  the  reservation  of  that  element 
in  the  body  is  essential  for  power  of  mind  or 
body.* 

To  any  casual  observer  the  evidences  on  this 
subject  are  too  patent  for  dispute.  Look  at  the 
pure  young  woman:  her  cheeks  are  red,  her 

*Much  might  be  said  profitably  here  upon  the  ana- 
tomical structure  and  physiological  laws  governing 
the  method  and.  functions  used  in  this  process  of  re- 
fitting and  re-absorbing  this  life-element  for  the  use 
of  the  body  and  mind,  but  we  will  leave  much  of  this, 
hoping  in  the  course  of  time  to  give  to  the  world  9 
Complete  physiology  of  the  human  body. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      45 

eyes  bright,  her  hands  warm  and  dry,  her  flesh 
firm,  her  movements  buoyant  and  vigorous, 
and  her  face  covered  with  smiles.  She  is  happy 
in  her  innocence.  She  marries,  and  after  a  tew 
weeks,  or  months  at  most,  you  meet  her  again 
and  you  would  scarcely  recognize  her;  the  rose 
is  gone  from  her  cheeks,  the  luster  from  her 
eyes,  the  joyous  smile  from  her  face.  Instead 
of  bounding  along  as  if  her  body  had  no  weight, 
she  moves  along  heavily,  with  dark  clouds  un- 
der her  eyes.  Take  her  by  the  hand;  it  is  cold 
and  moist.  Pass  her  by  and  call  on  her  at  the 
end  of  one  year.  Now  she  begins  to  look  pale 
and  thin.  Ask  her  what  has  been  the  matter? 
0,  I  have  been  sick;  I  do  not  feel  well  now. 
What  has  wrought  this  great  change  in  so  short 
a  time  ?  Certainly  there  must  be  something  very 
wrong  in  the  marital  habits.  Nature  always  re- 
wards the  obedient  with  abundance  of  her  good, 
but  always  punishes  the  sinner  against  her  laws, 
and  never  excuses  on  account  of  ignorance;  and 
the  God  of  nature  never  removes  the  sentence 
that  nature  imposes,  even  in  answer  to  the  de- 
vout prayer.  But  follow  that  woman  further, 
see  her  after  twenty  years.  She  is  now  worn 
and  aged;  around  her  are  several  children.  The 
eldest  a  son  of  eighteen  years,  his  face  filled 
with  pimples,  his  hands  cold  and  clammy,  his 
eyes  dull  ami  watery,  his  intellect  capable  of 
naught  but  mischief.  He  learns  slowly  at  school, 
frequently  gets  into  trouble  for  his  wrong-doing, 
chews  tobacco,  smokes  cigarettes,  eats  enough 
at  each  meal  for  two  men,  does  not  care  to  re- 
tire at  night  until  late,  and  in  the  morning  it  is 
with  difficulty  his  parents  can  get  him  out  of 
bed,  and  when  he  is  up  he  gapes,  and  lays 
around  with  no  ambition.  What  mean  all  these 


4:6      PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    INSURE    SUCCESS. 

symptoms  ?  What  do  they  evidence  against  this 
young  man  ?  That  he  is  injudiciously  squander- 
ing his  life  in  secret  vices;  consequently,  he  is 
devoid  of  animation  in  body  or  mind.  He  lacks 
all  the  constituents  of  growing  manhood,  and  is 
an  easy  prey  to  almost  any  vice  that  may  be 
placed  in  his  way.  It  is  largely  from  this  class 
that  the  recruits  for  our  prisons,  insane  asylums, 
and  alms-houses  come. 

He  may  escape  these  and  marry,  but  his  body 
is  not  half  developed,  and  his  mind  is  lit  for 
nothing  but  menial  labor.  Where  did  all  this 
evil  begin?  With  the  ignorance  of  his  parents 
and  the  consequent  excessive  indulgence  of  the 
sensual  nature,  and  he  was  inflamed  with  that 
all-destroying  passion,  even  in  his  mother's 
womb.  The  waste  of  those  vital  elements  was 
the  cause  of  the  mother's  almost  constant  sick- 
ness and  rapid  decline,  and  the  same  was  the 
cause  of  that  most  loathsome  condition  of  her 
son.  All  the  above  symptoms  are  just  as  apt 
to  appear  in  a  young  woman  under  the  same 
conditions,  but  with  her  we  have  to  add  that 
most  dire  result,  prolapsus,  and  general  debil- 
ity of  those  functions  that  were  destined  to 
reproduce  her  kind.  As  a  consequence  of  in- 
dulging in  these  secret  vices,  she  suffers  all  her 
life,  dies  young,  and  her  husband  has  no  pleas- 
ure with  her;  for  her  mind  is  dwarfed,  her  sex 
nature  destroyed,  and  the  doctor  is  a  constant 
attendant.  The  husband  has  the  care  of  an  in- 
valid, the  doctor's  bills  to  meet,  and  perhaps 
several  puny  children  to  care  for  after  his  day's 
work  is  done.  Oh,  the  horrible  nightmare  of  a 
life  controlled  by  sex  passion!  The  dire  results 

in  its  path  are  worse  than well  there  is  no 

comparison  anywhere  in  nature. 


PRACTICAL  METHODS   TO   INSURE    SUCCESS.       47 

* 

Why  is  it  that  those  who  know  this  most  ter- 
rible of  all  monsters  remain  silent?  Is  it  be- 
cause they  do  not  know  how  to  remedy  the  evil? 
Many  say  to  me,  "The  world  is  not  ready  for 
this  kind  of  teaching."  Then  it  never  will  be; 
for  unless  these  teachings  are  received,  the  race 
will  go  no  higher.  The  only  means  of  preserva- 
tion now  is  from  emigration.  Without  the  Ger- 
^mans,  Swedes,  and  Danes  we  would  rapidly 
decline;  although  the  Irish  give  vitality  and 
numbers,  yet  they  furnish  the  elements  of  in- 
tensified passion  and  iconoclasticism.  Of  course 
there  are  many  exceptions. 

But  let  us  return  to  this  young  man  or  young 
woman.  You  ask  them,  "  What  is  the  cause  or 
those  pimples  on  the  face  and  swellings  on  the 
neck?"aud  they  will  answer,  *'I  inherited  scrof- 
ula!" Yes;  you  inherited  a  passion  that  you 
might  have  controlled,  but  as  you  did  not,  you 
have  these  results. 

Another  young  man  appears  bright  and  active, 
but  he  is  often  seen  in  questionable  company, 
and  is  ever  seeking  an  opportunity  to  gratify  an 
inflamed  passion.  Look  at  the  pores  of  the  skin 
on  his  face.  They  are  full  of  dark  specks  or 
deep,  coarse,  cavity-like  pin-holes.  His  mind 
is  obtuse  on  all  but  the  commonest  habits  of  life. 
Base,  secret  habits  are  sure  to  make  their  marks 
on  the  face. 

I  am  aware  that  it  may  seem  inopportune  to 
give  all  these  evidences  of  the  secret  vices  of 
men  andVomen;  but  the  sooner  it  is  generall}7 
known,  the  sooner  much  of  it  will  be  rem- 
edied. What  young  man  or  young  woman 
would  not  rally  all  their  will  to  conquer  these 
vices  if  they  knew  they  were  indelibly  engraven 
on  their  faces  so  that  all  who  saw  could  read 


48      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

them?  These  little  books  are  to  be  given  out  to 
all;  then  you  who  do  these  things  can  no  longer 
be  shielded  from  public  gaze.  But  let  me  note 
certain  exceptions.  Pimples  on  the  forehead, 
and  not  on  the  face  (fine  ones),  are  an  indication 
of  active  passions,  with  occasional  involuntary 
losses,  and  therefore  do  not  indicate  secret  vices. 
The  hand  of  a  sensitive  person  may,  through  the 
simple  act  of  shaking  hands,  or  when  under  em- 
barrassment, become  cold  and  moist.  These ' 
are  the  only  exceptions  we  can  make.  Now, 
if  these  marks  of  derangement  in  the  blood,  and 
of  the  whole  nature,  are  so  marked  and  exceed- 
ingly bad,  all  arising  from  \\raste  of  the  life,  does 
it  not  evidence  that  it  is  all  wrong?  The  case 
of  the  mother  and  son  is  not  a  rare  one.  We 
might  almost  say  the  cases  are  rare  where  none 
of  these  results  are  apparent. 

The  true  course  of  life  is  this:  the  function  of 
generation  has  two  uses: — the  first  and  princi- 
pal one  is  to  generate  life  to  supply  the  body 
and  brain  with  the  proper  powers;  the  second, 
to  produce  children.  No  man  or  woman  should 
allow  the  life  to  be  thrown  off  under  any  circum- 
stances whatever  unless  it  is  in  case  a  child  is  de- 
sired by  both  husband  and  wife. 

Here  is  the  dividing  line  between  the  animal 
mind,  colored,  directed,  and  controlled  by  sexual 
desires,  and  all  that  grows  out  of  it,  and  the 
prox>er  mentality  of  Man,  seeing  things  as  they 
arb  "without  coloring  or  shading. 

p[t  is  the  normal  ability  of  man's  mind  to 
grasp  the  most  subtile  or  expand  into  the  im- 
mense. As  long  as  one  submits  to  the  control- 
ling power  of  sex  desire,  it  will  continue  to 
wield  its  coloring  and  biasing  influence  on  all 
the  consciousness  of  the  individual.  Who 


PRACTICAL  METHODS    TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       49 

among  men  have  not  met  old  and  young  men 
whose  minds  were  so  thoroughly  controlled  by 
this  monster  that  every  mirthful  thought  was 
disgustingly  obscene?  While  sometimes  you 
will  find  they  have  a  low  cunning,  enabling 
them  to  keep  up  a  show  of  success,  the  mind  is 
totally  incapable  of  an  exalted  moral  thought. 
True,  these  are  extreme  cases;  but  go  among 
the  "roughs  "  of  our  large  cities,  and  down  into 
the  "slums,"  and  listen  to  the  conversation  of 
these  people,  and  you  will  hear  the  most  loath- 
some vulgarity,  —  which  is  but  the  expression 
of  the  vitiating  influence  of  the  passions  on 
the  mind  and  habits.  We  challenge  the  world 
to  bring  from  the  history  of  the  past  one  in- 
stance of  a  criminal  character  who  was  chaste 
in  these  respects. 

We  ask  you  to  make  a  study  of  this,  and  you 
will  find  that  every  immoral  and  vicious,  or 
even  dishonest,  character  arises  wholly  from  an 
abnormal  sex  nature.  The  first  step  on  the 
downward  path  is  in  the  controlling  influence 
of  sex  passion.  That  is  why  the  ancient  phi* 
losophers  and  Bible  historians  called  it  "The 
old  serpent,  the  devil,  and  satan,  that  deceives 
the  whole  world."  (Rev.  xii.  9.) 

Many  of  our  "good  "  people  are  unwilling  to 
believe  this,  in  fact  refuse  to  even  think  of  it, 
and  are  offended  when  their  attention  is  called 
to  it.  They  are  like  one  harboring  a  corrupt 
mass  of  decaying  matter  in  their  closets,  which 
is  causing  constant  sickness  and  death  in  the 
family,  and  one  says  to  them,  "  There  is  where 
all  your  trouble  comes  from,"  but  they  will  not 
hear;  it  is  too  disgusting  to  their  sensitive  na- 
ture. 

And  not  only  so,  but  they  see  no  way  of  rem- 


50      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE  SUCCESS. 

edying  it;  for  those  who  are  accepted  as  author- 
ity on  these  subjects  have  impressed  upon  their 
minds  that  it  is  necessary  to  the  health  to  ex- 
haust the  life,  and  that  it  is  only  a  natural  over- 
flow when  involuntary  losses  occur,  etc.  So 
they  have  settled  down  to  think  that  the  Creator 
is  partial  to  the  animal  world,  but  has  endowed 
them  with  an  adversary  over  which  they  have 
no  control.  But,  thanks  to  our  Creator,  such  is 
not  true,  and  we  believe  we  now  have  with  us 
in  this  sentiment  every  first-class  medical  au- 
thority of  recent  date;  and  we  also  have  the 
experience  of  thousands  of  men  and  women  of 
all  ages,  who  have  received  and  practiced  our 
instructions,  and  every  one  of  them  will  give, 
as  many  have  already  given,  the  very  strongest 
testimonials  of  BENEFICIAL  results  obtained 
thereby. 

We  will  now  first  state  what  should  be  ac- 
complished, and  how;  afterward,  the  laws  gov- 
erning: —  „ 

We  have  said  there  are  but  two  uses  for  the 
sexual  powers;  the  first  and  most  constant  is 
for  renewal  of  our  own  vitality;  the  second, 
occasional  use  for  propagation.  Every  healthy 
man  produces  many  thousand  germs  every 
year,  and  every  healthy  woman  many  hundred, 
each  of  which  are  capable  of  producing  another 
organism,  equal  to  that  of  the  person  producing 
the  germ.  These  should  never  be  allowed  to 
leave  the  body  under  any  circumstances  what- 
ever, except  when  a  man  and  wife  wish  a 
child;  then  preparation  should  be  made  for  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  prior  to  their  coming 
together,  to  put  each  of  their  bodies  and  minds 
into  proper  condition. 

This  occasion  could  not  be  repeated  properly, 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       57 

even  by  the  most  zealous  for  children,  oftener 
than  once  in  18  months,  which  would  amount 
to  almost  a  continent  life  for  the  man,  and  would 
add  much  to  the  woman.  The  children  pro- 
duced from  fully  matured  and  well-cultivated 
germs  would  be  an  honor  to  our  race,  and  child- 
bearing  would  become  a  delight,  in  place  of 
the  danger,  sickness,  and  pain  now  prevalent. 
Great  care  is  taken  to  develop  good  horses, 
cows,  sheep,  etc.,  and  even  fruit  and  vegetables, 
but  none  for  the  development  of  our  children. 
This  is  due  wholly  to  the  pernicious  teachings 
of  professed  scientists  on  these  subjects  of  sex 
life.  If  men  and  women  had  complete  control 
of  themselves  in  these  matters,  then  the  way 
would  be  easy  to  begin  the  culture  of  our  own 
species;  but  as  it  is,  they  constantly  yield  to 
impulse,  without  regard  to  anything  else. 

A  man  in  gentlemanly  dress,  listening  to  me 
on  these  subjects,  speaking  in  a  cultured  tone  of 
voice,  abruptly  asked,  "Do  you  mean  to  say  that 
a  person  could,  if  he  wished,  stop  all  discharge 
of  the  sexual  life?"  We  answered,  Yes!!  Here- 
plied  gruffly,  '*!  don't  believe  it!"  This  only 
gave  voice  to  the  belief  common  in  the  world, 
and  there  are  many  reasons  for  these  convic- 
tions. Many  a  man  has  said  to  me,  "  Why,  we 
cannot  control  what  takes  place  in  our  sleep, 
and  we  know  nothing  about  it  until  after  all  is 
over."  Yes,  you  can.  You  should  first  decide 
in  your  own  mind  that  you  will  not  indulge  that 
passion  under  any  circumstances  whatever.  A 
complete  decision  of  the  mind  is  the  battle  half 
won  for  anyone,  and  for  many  it  is  wholly  won, 
—  as  the  decisions  of  the  mind  enter  into  and 
control  the  dream  state,  —  but  some  have  greater 
difficulty  than  others.  It  is  necessary  for  many 


52      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS. 

to  charge  their  minds  not  to  let  go  consciousness 
of  the  body  at  any  time,  and  so  refuse  to  sleep 
soundly,  in  order  to  gain  this  control.  You  who 
find  you  must  give  your  sound  sleep  for  this  at- 
tainment need  not  fear  evil  results;  for  as  you 
succeed,  and  the  body  becomes  more  potent, 
the  need,  and  consequent  inclination  to  sleep 
soundly  passes  away.  Persons  who  experience 
this  extreme  difficulty  in  overcoming  the  waste 
of  the  life  will  observe  that  after  they  perse- 
vere and  succeed  in  retaining  the  germs  for  even 
one  whole  month,  the  need  of  the  old-fashioned 
dead  sleep  will  pass  away;  and  such  will  find, 
that  notwithstanding  they  do  not  appear  to 
sleep  at  all,  they  will  not  feel  tired  or  sleepy: 
and  as  they  go  on,  there  will  awaken  within 
them  another  consciousness,  which  awakens  as 
they  close  their  eyes  and  forget  the  body.  This 
consciousness  is  wholly  of  the  mind,  but  is  a 
condition  of  the  mind  that  does  not  use  or  ex- 
haust the  body;  on  the  contrary,  it  allows  it  per- 
fect rest;  and  while  it  is  active  in  this  state, 
they  can  perfectly  guard  and  protect  themselves 
from  involuntary  losses.  There  are  some  who 
may  have  to  struggle  a  long  time  before  they 
can  reach  this  point;  to  such  we  would  say:  it 
is  necessary  that  you  place  your  mind  in  the 
attitude  of  one  who  is  compelled  to  sleep  in  a 
place  of  danger,  where  it  is  necessary  that  he 
should  be  on  the  alert  all  the  time.  For  in- 
stance: if  you  had  wealth  of  gold,  and  you  knew 
there  were  thieves  around  to  steal  it  from  you, 
what  would  be  your  mental  condition  while 
sleeping?  The  life  generated  in  you  is  worth 
more  than  gold,  and  there  are  sneak  thieves 
who  will  steal  it  from  you  unless  you  are  in 
a  condition  to  awaken  and  protect  yourself  from 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       53 

the  slightest  indication  of  their  presence.  At 
first  it  may  seem  a  greater  task  than  you  can 
perform,  and  so  it  would  be  were  it  not  for  the 
fact  that  but  a  few  days'  success  rewards  you 
with  a  condition  which  takes  the  place  of  sleep. 
While  you  are  sleeping  is  nature's  time  of  re- 
cuperation, i.  e.,  replenishing  exhausted  life;  but 
if  you  retain  the  life  —  the  seed  —  the  exhaust 
is  supplied  without  sleep,  and  therefore  the  ne- 
cessity for  sleep  ceases. 

I  personally  know  of  an  instance  where  a  man 
who  was  retaining  all  the  life  worked  day  and 
night  continually  for  months,  with  only  one  or 
one  and  one -half  hours' rest  daily,  which  he 
would  take  by  lying  down  on  a  lounge  and  im- 
mediately letting  go  of  the  body.  The  mind 
would  continue  active,  while  the  body  would  lay 
like  a  clod  for  a  half -hour  or  more,  after  which 
the  sex  nature  would  become  active  (in  its  office 
of  transmuting  the  elements  of  the  blood  to  life), 
and  this  would  continue  perhaps  for  a  half -hour, 
then  cease.  He  would  then  arise  and  go  to  his 
work,  refreshed  much  more  than  if  he  had  slept 
12  hours;  for  then  the  body  would  have  felt  dull 
and  oppressed,  because  sleep  when  it  is  not 
needed  causes  a  stagnation  of  the  blood. 

All  persons  living  this  life  should  make  it  a 
rule  to  arise  as  soon  as  they  awaken  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  immediately  begin  activity  of  mind  or 
body,  or  both;  and  when  they  are  far  enough  on 
the  way  to  cease  to  sleep  soundly,  they  should 
carefully  counsel  their  feelings,  and  experiment 
upon  them,  and  thus  ascertain  how  long  it  is 
necessary  for  them  to  lie  in  bed,  and  govern  their 
hours  of  sleep  by  their  conscious  needs.  But  as 
long  as  there  are  occasional  losses  they  should 
persist  in  not  sleeping  any  more  than  is  abso- 


54      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

lutely  necessary  in  order  to  keep  up  health  and 
vigor.  No  person  can  help  you,  and  we  have 
never  found  one  instance  where  any  one  obtained 
any  help  by  prayer  in  this  particular;  on  the 
contrary,  it  has  often  been  remarked  to  me  that 
"So  sure  as  I  pray  for  help  and  protection,  so 
sure  am  I  to  fail."  Remember,  dear  devotional 
friend,  that  the  word  is  written,  "HE  that  over- 
cometh  "  etc.  Now,  if  God  were  to  overcome  for 
you,  you  would  not  be  the  overcomer,  or  the  re- 
cipient of  the  reward  which  is  absolutely  certain 
to  any  and  all  who  overcome  the  creative  ener- 
gies within  himself  or  herself. 

But  we  must  make  some  very  careful  discrim* 
inations  right  on  this  point.  First  of  all  is  the 
question,  What  do  we  mean  by  overcoming  ?  We 
do  not  mean  to  kill  out  all  activity  or  feeling 
there,  because  the  office  of  that  function  is  to 
create  or  transmute  life  for  the  use  of  the  body 
and  brain,  and  for  soul-food;  then  we  mean  sim- 
ply for  you  to  get  that  function  of  your  organism 
under  control  of  your  will.  You  can  never  judge 
another  by  yourself;  for  all  diversity  of  charac- 
ter, nature,  etc.,  is  intensified  in  that  function. 
It  is  the  spring  (fountain  of  life)  from  which  na- 
ture flows  unmodified  by  education  or  surround- 
ings; therefore,  there  is  no  one  else  like  you. 
These  laws  and  methods  apply  to  all  as  regards 
ultimates,  but  not  wholly  in  the  way  of  applying 
methods.  One  whose  nature  is  very  active,  and 
who  experiences  much  difficulty  in  gaining  con- 
trol, should  make  every  effort  to  suppress  it,  just 
as  if  the  object  were  to  kill  it  out;  another,  who 
has  activity,  but  has  no  difficulty  in  preventing 
any  waste,  should  not  suppress  a  normal  action, 
especially  after  sleep  or  quiet  rest,  for  that  is  na- 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       55 

ture's  time  for  reinvigorating  the  blood.  We 
hope  no  one  will  allow  a  depraved  imagination, 
arising  from  an  inflamed  and  unnatural  passion, 
to  deceive  them  into  any  kind  of  abuse.  There 
are  two  kinds  of  passion,  each  very  different 
from  the  other;  one,  imaginative  of  base  and  low 
indulgence;  the  other,  an  ENERGY,  activity,  and 
in  so  far  as  it  affects  the  mind  it  carries  it  up  to 
God,  and  the  pure  and  good,  — and  is  entirely 
free  from  any  base  imaginings  or  desires. 

If  you  are  one  among  the  many  whose  vitality 
is  low  from  weakness  in  ability  to  hold  the  vital 
fluids,  (and  there  are  none  who  are  weak  from 
any  other  cause,  —  many  young  girls  inherit 
weakness  so  that  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  gener- 
ate life  they  begin  to  lose  it  from  sheer  weakness 
alone,  — )  then  it  is  important  for  you  to  concen- 
trate all  your  powers  in  that  direction,  beginning 
with  the  first  of  these  instructions,  and  follow- 
ing them  up  with  will  and  decisiveness.  To 
those  who  have  no  consciousness  of  any  such  ac- 
tion: you,  as  well  as  others,  should  guard  your- 
self and  make  sure  there  is  no  waste.  There 
are  many  delicate  ladies  who  are  entirely  uncon- 
scious of  any  action  or  waste,  who  can,  by  the 
will,  take  control  of  that  function,  and  by  care 
will  find  the  reason  for  no  conscious  action  there 
to  be  the  continual  loss  of  the  life  generated;  as 
soon  as  that  ceases  they  will  find  themselves  in 
possession  of  a  great  power,  which  will  tax  their 
utmost  ability  to  subjugate.  There  are  those 
who,  from  various  causes,  have  suppressed  or 
virtually  killed  out  all  power  of  action  in  this 
most  important  function,  and  consequently  are 
in  the  decline  of  life,  some  from  old  age  and  ex- 
haustion, others  from  being  surfeited,  etc.,  etc.-, 


56      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

to  whom  the  former  instructions  do  cot  apply: 
to  such  we  will  give  special  instructions.* 

In  these  lessons  we  have  given  the  keys  to  all 
that  is  good  and  desirable  in  life.  The  sexual 
power  is  the  creative  faculty;  in  it  is  found  the 
source  of  all  the  good  and  evil  on  the  earth;  in 
it  is  the  "spring  of  all  human  action,  the  father 
and  mother  alike  of  all  the  good  and  evil  on  the 
earth;  and  through  its  halo  alone  can  man  sense 
the  ineffable  essence  of  the  Godhead."  When 
it  is  perfectly  normal,  and  is  being  used  for  the 
health  and  vitalization  of  the  body,  and  is  held 
subject  to  a  domination  of  the  intelligence,  then 
the  body,  mind,  and  soul  is  in  a  healthful  grow- 
ing condition;  but  if  it  is  allowed  to  dominate, 
it  causes  us  to  give  our  life  for  mere  sensual 
gratification,  —  and  yet  we  are  not  gratified,  but 
are  deceived  and  disappointed,  and  our  life  is 
made  a  hell  of  vague  imaginings,  devoid  of  all 
reality  or  even  ability  to  see  and  understand 
things  as  they  really  are. 

We  know  how  deceptive  is  the  mind  that  is 
under  control  of  PERVERTED  passion;  therefore 
we  repeat  the  salient  point,  to  prevent,  if  possi- 
ble, falsification  of  our  position:  —  The  office  of 
the  sex  function  to  the  body  and  mi  ad  is  like 
the  digestive  functions  to  the  body;  its  action 
does  not  mean  mere  gratification,  but  rather 
service.  The  sex  nature  will  do  its  work  if  left 
alone,  and  do  it  properly  when  it  is  in  a  normal 
condition,  without  any  outside  assistance,  so  the 
first  important  work  is  to  put  it  in  a  healthy 
condition  and  keep  it  so.  Remember,  dear 

*On  receipt  of  10  cents,  we  will  send  printed  in- 
structions which,  if  followed,  will  restore  declining 
age  to  youth  and  visor. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE    SUCCESS.       57 

reader,  this  is  the  fountain-head  from  which 
your  life  flows;  and  if  it  be  pure  and  good,  you 
will  be  likewise;  but  if  your  life  be  corrupt  at 
the  fountain-head,  what  can  be  expected  of  the 
results? 

"  Tis  ignorance  that  multiplies  the  wrongs 
Of  human  nature.    Almost  all  the  crimes 
Directly  may  be  traced  to  ignorance, 
And  indirectly  through  the  passions  alL 
The  man  is  ignorant  of  law  who  gives 
Being  to  offspring,  cursed,  before  their  birth' 
With  passions  that  destroy  their  future  peace, 
And  make  the  stately  fabric  of  the  soul 
A  dungeon  of  impure  depravities. 
The  man  is  ignorant  of  law  who  takes 
A  forced  reluctant  wife  into  his  breast, 
Whose  inward  soul  another's  spirit  claims, 
Whose  deepest  heart  expires  in  constant  pain, 
Dying  and  waking  daily  to  new  deaths. 
O  cursed  Ignorance  that  educates 
,  Maidens  for  public  barter;  that  first  crowns 
With  orange  blooms  their  brows,  then  turns  the  key 
Of  wedlock,  falsely  called  so  by  divines, 
To  crush  them  in  its  infamous  Bastile, 
Making  the  marriage-bed  a  rack,  where  they 
Must  wed  themselves,  poor  children,  to  despair, 
As  to  an  iron  giant,  while  the  fire 
Of  madness  inundates  the  reeking  brain. 
O  God,  'tis  terrible!— Thou  who  didst  once 
Rest  cradled  in  the  sainted  Mary's  arms,— 
Whom  woman  loved,  bathing  thy  sacred  feet 
With  costly  tears,  wiping  them  with  her  hair,— 
Break  thou  that  spell  of  ignorance  that  makes 
Woman  the  slave;  redeem  her  captive  heart, 
Let  marriage  be  the  sacrament  of  soul, 
The  deathless  union  of  accordant  minds, 
The  blending  of  two  perfect  lives  in  one, 
Whose  home  shall  be  a  paradise,  whose  bliss 
Chaste,  fervent,  lasting  as  an  Angel's  love." 


FIFTH  LESSON. 

WHAT  IS  TO  BE  OBTAINED  BY  <;  REGENERATION  "  ? 

Before  beginning  this  article,  the  above  ques- 
tion was  asked  of  a  young  man  in  my  hearing, 
and  his  spontaneous  answer  was,  "Why,  every- 
thing ! ! !  "  Yes;  everything  desirable  is  attain- 
able by  it.  We  have  often  seen  young  men  and 
young  women  attend  a  course  of  lessons  on  this 
subject,  whose  faces  were  pale,  eyes  dim,  and 
health  poor,  and  before  the  course  closed  (or  in- 
side of  three  weeks)  their  eyes  would  become 
bright  and  the  color  would  return  to  their 
cheeks. 

Young  ladies  resort  to  various  methods  in  or- 
der to  produce  a  healthful  appearance,  and  in 
some  cases  young  men  do  the  same  —  to  make 
themselves  attractive — but  those  who  follow 
these  instructions  will  have  all  that  bloom  of 
health,  and  added  to  it  they  will  possess  that 
"personal  magnetism"  which  is  so  attractive, 
and  which  is  really  one  of  the  strongest  factors 
to  insure  success,  even  in  a  business  way,  and 
is  in  fact  the  main  requisite  to  success  for 
speakers,  teachers,  lawyers,  doctors,  and  even 
salesmen. 

It  has  very  often  been  remarked  to  me  by 
young  men  who  are  living  this  life,  that  they 
have  added  power  to  attract  the  opposite  sex: 
in  fact,  therein  lies  one  of  man's  greatest  dangers, 
viz. :  in  attracting  to  them  persons  who  will  use 
every  means  to  ensnare  them.  Young  people 
who  live  this  life  will  possess  attractive  powers 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO    INSURE   SUCCESS.       59 

so  great  that  they  can  have  their  choice  of  a 
companion  from  any  class  of  people.  But  this 
is  the  smallest  thing  to  be  considered.  We 
know  it  is  an  impossibility  to  express  in  words 
one-half  of  all  that  is  actually  attained  through 
this  mode  of  life,  but  we  will  mention  a  few 
facts  and  leave  you  to  prove  them  by  experience; 
then  you  will  know  for  yourself. 

It  gives  a  joyous,  happy  feeling  to  the  body 
and  mind:  it  clears  up  the  intellect  so  that  you 
can  readily  understand  the  most  abstruse  sub- 
jects: it  gives  strength  and  decision  of  charac- 
ter and  directness  of  purpose:  it  gives  a  love  for 
refinement,  purity,  goodness,  honor,  justice, 
and  morality:  it  adds  to  the  capacity  of  the 
mind  and  body  in  every  conceivable  direction, 
and  the  process  of  growth  of  all  these  may  be 
kept  up  continually.  We  have  never  known 
any  one  who  could  say  where  the  limits  of  the 
possibilities  of  increase  should  be  placed.  We 
have  known  some  of  the  most  marvelous  mind 
powers  to  be  gained  through  it:  such  as  being 
able  to  read  the  thoughts  of  others;  to  foresee 
events;  to  perceive  the  most  subtile  forces  in 
nature;  in  fact,  we  have  had  abundant  reason 
to  believe  that  every  power  possessed  by  those 
in  the  spirit  world  may  be  possessed  by  those 
who  follow  those  instructions. 

We  will  relate  one  instance  which  occurred 
in  our  early  experimentation  on  these  methods, 
which  will  illustrate  many  other  instances 
slightly  varied  in  character.  A  gentleman  in 
business  was  induced  to  adopt  them.  His  busi- 
ness called  into  use  his  physical  strength,  and 
it  was  almost  unlimited.  His  constant  activity 
and  wonderful  strength,  as  well  as  his  keen 
business  ability,  were  a  source  of  wonder  to  all 


60       PEACTICAL  METHODS  TO   INSURE.  SUCCESS. 

who  knew  him.  One  day  we  were  sitting  in  a 
basement  room  in  the  extreme  end  of  a  hundred- 
foot  store.  For  one  to  get  from  the  store  to 
this  room  necessitated  going  out  of  the  store  at 
the  right,  then  to  the  left  through  a  long,  dark 
corridor,  then  turning  again  to  the  right,  open- 
ing a  door,  and  descending  one  flight  of  stairs. 
We  were  busily  engaged  in  a  conversation  when 
a  clerk  made  his  way  through  this  circuitous 
route  to  the  stair  door,  and  called  him  by  name. 
He  was  speaking  and  did  not  answer  the  first 
call,  but  when  his  name  was  called  the  second 
time,  he  turned  toward  the  clerk,  who  had  not 
descended  the  steps,  was  not  even  in  sight,  and 
had  only  called  him  by  name,  and  said,  "Tell 
her  it  is  all  right;  I  do  not  care."  The  clerk 
returned  to  the  store,  and  as  we  were  discussing 
similar  matters,  he  turned  to  me  and  said, 
"When  he  called  me  I  saw  an  old  lady  dressed 
in  black,  who  had  engaged  my  services  for  this 
morning,  standing  in  the  store,  and  I  knew  she 
had  come  to  countermand  the  order.  I  will  now 
go  up  and  see  if  it  is  true. "  On  his  return  he 
informed  me  that  he  had  found  matters  exactly 
as  he  saw  them  in  his  mind  when  he  was  called. 
This  man  had  been  a  materialist  and  was  nat- 
urally very  skeptical  on  every  subject  bordering 
on  the  spiritual,  but  he  had  then  reached  a 
point  in  his  growth  where  his  skepticism  began 
to  give  way  to  the  vivid  consciousness  within, 
of  the  reality  of  an  Immortal  Soul,  and  of  Spirit 
or  God. 

We  might  fill  a  large  volume  with  similar  in- 
stances from  the  experience  of  various  persons, 
where  they  have  developed  within  themselves 
capacities  of  mind  transcending  the  five  senses. 
But  it  is  not  these  marvelous  powers  alone  that 


. 


/  o*  -nut  A 

f  UNIVERSITY  5 

PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE   SUCCESS.       61 


you  should  desire,  neither  is  it  these  alone  that 
you  will  gain.  This  extreme  case,  however, 
will  enable  you  to  see  that  if  such  marvelous 
ultimates  are  attainable,  there  are  gradations  of 
mental  capacities  transcending  any  you  now 
possess,  which  will  be  of  great  use  to  you  in 
whatever  sphere  of  life  you  may  occupy.  For 
instance,  if  you  have  a  clear  business  mind  it 
will  become  much  clearer,  and  you  will  be  en- 
abled to  discern  the  motives  of  those  with  whom 
you  deal  to  an  extent  transcending  the  power  of 
others:  and  this  will  be  true  in  every  depart- 
ment of  life. 

THE  LAW  GOVERNING,  OR  THE  WAY  IN  WHICH 
NATURE  CARRIES  ON  THIS  WORK  UNDER  GUID- 
ANCE OF  AN  INTELLIGENT  WILL. 

The  first  question  to  be  answered  is,  What  at- 
titude of  the  mind  is  necessary  in  order  to  allow 
nature  to  do  its  work  without  interference? 
You  should  first  fully  decide,  so  there  is  no 
longer  any  doubt  or  question  in  your  mind,  that 
you  will  stop  all  unnatural  waste;  also  that  you 

WILL  NOT,  UNDER  ANY  CIRCUMSTANCES  WHAT- 
EVER, allow  yourself  to  enter  into  those  relations 
with  any  one,  or  do  anything  that  will  cause 
the  waste  of  the  vital  fluids;  that  you  will 
not,  under  any  circumstances,  use  those  forces 
merely  for  sense-gratification.  When  this  de- 
cision is  really  made  so  that  every  feeling. within 
you  unites  with  it,  the  work  is  virtually  accom- 
plished, —  but  few  there  are  who  can  do  this  at 
once. 

In  many  there  will  remain  for  a  long  time  a 
hidden  feeling  desiring  this  relation,  but  you 
can  overcome  even  this  by  a  persistent  deter- 
mination, never  yielding;  for  once  to  yield  is  to 
give  it  a  controlling  influence  which  is  hard  to 


62      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE   SUCCESS. 

conquer.  When  the  mind  is  unquestionably 
fixed,  if  your  nature  is  ordinarily  normal  you 
will  find  but  little  difficulty  until  the  moon 
enters  the  sign  the  earth  ("the  sun")  was  in 
when  you  were  born.  Some  will  ask,  "  What 
has  the  moon  to  do  with  the  matter?  "  If  you 
will  take  Solar  Biology,  or  an  ordinary  Nautical 
Almanac,  or  even  the  Astrological  Ephemeris, 
and  observe  the  above  position  and  your  feel- 
ings, the  question  will  be  answered  in  your  own 
experience,  and  will  make  plain  to  you  the  law 
which  we  now  give.  Then  you  will  find  there 
will  awaken  within  you  new  feelings,  which, 
unless  your  decision  is  well  made,  will  change 
your  mind;  and  every  day  after  that  you  will 
find  that  you  have  a  new  and  increasing  force 
active  within.  If  you  hold  the  life  for  fifteen 
days  you  will  observe  that  your  mind  becomes 
clearer,  unless  the  passions  have  a  firm  control 
of  you;  and  if  they  have,  you  will  find  that 
imaginary  beauties  and  attractions  will  arise  in 
those  relations  transcending  any  before  known; 
and  every  month  this  will  increase  for  several 
months.  But  if  you  hold  firm  to  your  decision, 
there  will  be  observable  benefits  to  the  mental 
as  well  as  the  physical  powers  inside  of  the  first 
thirty  days,  which  will  continue  to  increase  as 
long  as  you  continue  to  live  the  life.  These 
improved  conditions  come  so  gradually  that 
many  do  not  realize  them  for,  in  some  instances, 
a  whole  year,  unless,  after  they  have  kept  the 
life  for  a  month  or  more,  they  lose  it,  then  will 
be  very  vividly  realized  what  they  have  lost, 
and  from  the  contrast  they  will  know  what  they 
have  gained. 

The  law  is  this:  every  time  the  moon  passes 
through   the   sign  the   earth   ("sun")  was  in 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       63 

when  you  were  born,  there  matures  within  you 
a  psychic  germ,  and  when  the  moon  passes 
through  your  polarity  (i.  e.,  through  the  sign  it 
was  in  when  you  were  born),  intensified  passion 
is  created,  which,  by  the  normal  action,  without 
help  or  restraint  further  than  to  prevent  loss  or 
injurious  strain  on  the  system,  will  transmute 
this  germ  from  its  germ  state  to  a  crystal  fluid. 
This  fluid  will  be  taken  up  by  the  lymphatic 
glands,  which  abound  especially  in  that  region 
of  the  body,  and  the  lymphatic  system  will  de- 
posit it  in  the  blood,  which  at  first  produces  a 
quiet,  dreamy  feeling,  —  unless  you  are  very 
active,  then  it  simply  adds  to  your  abilities  to 
be  and  to  do  that  which  you  wish.  After  the 
first  successful  month,  the  psychic  germ  matures 
one  sign  earlier,  that  is,  about  two  and  one-half 
days  sooner.  This  is  more  easily  observed  by 
ladies  than  gentlemen,  for  it  will  immediately 
affect  the  time  of  the  moonly  weakness  so  that 
it  will  manifest  about  that  much  earlier  each 
month,  unless  by  a  strong  will  and  active  mind 
they  are  able  to  prevent  its  manifestation  alto- 
gether, which  very  few  can  do.  Usually  this 
process  will  continue  for  twelve  months,  or 
rather  moons,  then  it  may  locate  in  either  the 
time  of  the  moon's  entrance  into  <y>  (Aries), 
25  (Cancer),  ~  (Libra),  or  X?  (Capricorn), 
but  more  frequently  in  the  latter  sign,  for  rea- 
sons we  will  not  now  explain.  These  manifes- 
tations in  woman  do  not  argue  that  she  only 
is  affected  by  these  things,  for  man's  life  is 
affected  as  much  as  woman's,  but  with  him 
the  manifestations  are  observable  only  by  pay- 
ing careful  attention  to  his  feelings. 

It  is  readily  observed  by  those  who  live  the 
life  that  all  the  work  is  done  by  the  spontaniety 


64      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

of  nature,  and  the  part  which  we  have  to  take 
in  the  matter  is  to  stop  doing;  but  it  will  be 
found  by  all  that  this  is  the  most  difficult  part 
of  it.  The  whole  matter  may  be  summed  up 
thus:—  Put  and  keep  the  body  in  perfect  order, 
and  do  not  waste  the  life  produced  by  it,  and 
as  surely  as  the  power  resides  within  you  to 
produce  another  or  other  lives,  so  surely  it  will 
constantly  renew  and  increase  your  own;  and  as 
the  amount  and  quality  of  life  decides  the  qual- 
ity and  capacity  of  the  person,  so  surely  will 
these  continue  to  increase. 


SIXTH  LESSON. 

THE  CAUSE    OF   IN  HARMONY   IN   MARRIAGE. 

The  sex  nature  underlies  all  that  makes  exist- 
ence desirable;  it  is  the  foundation  of  all  do- 
mestic life,  and  its  perversion  is  the  cause  of  all 
unhappiness,  while  its  proper  use  is  a  fountain 
of  constant  happiness.  The  perverted  idea  that 
all  happiness  is  derived  from  the  sex  relation 
causes  great  misery  in  the  world.  There  are 
few  men  or  women  who  have  married — of 
course  there  are  some  —  who  have  not  had  ex- 
periences which,  if  they  were  to  think  over, 
would  prove  to  them  that  the  happiest  hours  of 
their  lives  were  while  keeping  company  with 
the  one  they  loved.  How  many  times  when 
men  and  women  have  spent  an  evening  together 
and  separated,  they  have  both  felt  such  a  happy 
exhilaration  it  seemed  as  if  their  bodies  had  no 
weight,  but  as  if  they  floated  along  without 
effort,  and  they  looked  forward  with  great  de- 
light to  the  time  they  were  to  meet  again,  and 
while  together  what  happiness  the  mere  touch 
of  the  hand  would  bring.  How  often  we  read 
of  suicides  because  of  disappointment  in  love, 
the  reason  given  being  that  they  could  not  live 
without  the  object  of  their  love.  But  had  these 
same  persons  married,  in  all  probability  it 
would  not  have  been  three  months  before,  if 
they  were  separated  for  life,  they  would  not 
feel  the  same,  and  in  many  cases  would  even 
be  sorry  they  married  at  all.  Why  is  this?  It 
is  because  that  while  they  were  both  potent 


66      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

with  life,  there  was  a  harmonious  interchange 
and  interblending  which  fed  the  body,  mind, 
and  sonl,  and  when  that  life  was  exhausted 
nothing  remained  but  the  memory  of  what  had 
been  and  the  desire  to  find  it  again.  This  desire 
is  often  the  cause  of  excessive  indulgence,  that 
vulgar  deceiver  that  robs  both  husband  and 
wife  of  health,  happiness,  and  mental  capacity, 
and  makes  life  seem  a  mockery  and  a  deception; 
whereas  the  deception  is  in  our  own  ideas  of  the 
laws,  a  correct  knowledge  and  application  of 
which  would  make  life  far  more  than  the 
"dream  of  youth  and  courtship."  That  so- 
oalled  dream  is  the  real  life,  and  the  drugged 
lethargy  of  sensual  indulgence  is  a  horrible 
nightmare. 

11 1  saw  two  spirits  shine  above  the  town, 
Whose  marts  ten  thousand  busy  mortals  thronged: 

one  said, 

With  eyes  of  utmost  pity  gazing  down, 
Behold  the  dead  !  !  ! " 

Truly,  the  world,  living  in  this  drugged  sen- 
sual state  is  dead  to  all  that  pertains  to  real 
life,  and  men  and  women  go  about  struggling 
and  fighting  for  a  phantom  that  is  ever  before 
them  and  ever  evades  their  grasp. 

One  of  the  causes  of  delight  in  the  virginal  as- 
sociation of  the  sexes  is  the  interblending  of  the 
positive  and  negative  life-elements  obtained  from 
the  magnetisms  emanating  from  each.  This 
magnetism,  when  it  meets  its  opposite,  creates 
life.  Life  is  not  a  material  substance,  but  is  a 
refined,  subtile  element  permeating  all  the  ma- 
terial of  the  body.  In  the  generation  of  off- 
spring the  germ  is  animated  by  the  blending  of 
the  life-elements  in  both  parents;  but  when  the 
life-elements  throughout  the  entire  body  blend, 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       67 

the  pleasure  transcends  all  others  that  the  hu- 
man organism  is  capable  of. 

Love  is  a  hunger  of  the  life,  producing  mo- 
tion, and  guides  the  emanations  to  the  object 
loved.  This  life-emanation  will  go  where  it 
is  attracted,  and  will  not  be  taken  up  on  the 
way.  It  will  pass  through  a  crowd  of  people 
if  they  are  quiet,  and  reach  the  one  to  whom 
it  is  sent.  It  will  travel  thousands  of  miles 
on  the  strength  of  the  mind,  and  cause  it- 
self to  be  felt  by  the  one  to  whom  it  is  directed. 
"Love,  then,  is  life  in  motion,"  and  the  variety 
of  qualities  in  persons  is  by  virtue  of  the  different 
—  chemicals,  shall  I  say  ?  Yes,  we  believe  this 
to  be  true. 

All  persons  cannot  love  each  other,  for  there 
are  natural  repulsions  as  well  as  attractions. 
Where  repulsion  exists,  it  should  be  obeyed;  for 
it  exists  by  the  same  law  that  a  seed  of  a  cer- 
tain kind  attracts  certain  qualities  and  repels 
others,  and  is  thereby  enabled  to  maintain  its 
own  species;  otherwise  all  plants  would  mix  to- 
gether and  become  a  shapeless,  conglomerate 
mass. 

The  same  law  obtains  in  the  life  creative 
principle,  love;  herein  is  a  most  prolific  source 
of  misery  resulting  from  the  marriage  relation. 
Men  and  women  marry  without  knowing 
whether  there  is  proper  harmony  in  the  life 
qualities.  How  often  it  occurs  that  two  good, 
bright  persons  marry,  and  all  their  friends  say, 
"  What  a  good  match  that  is,"  but  in  a  year  or 
so,  one,  perhaps  the  man,  turns  out  bad,  becomes 
lazy  or  vicious;  or  it  may  be  the  wife  is  the  one 
to  turn  out  bad,  or  she  loses  her  health  and  dies 
early.  Why  is  this?  Surely  something  is 
wrong,  or  it  would  not  be  so. 


68      PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

If  we  put  two  chemicals  together  and  they 
" chemically  combine,"  another  substance  is 
formed:  so  in  the  life  emanations  from  men  and 
women.  Now,  the  new  substances  formed  by 
the  combination  of  varying  life-elements  are  as 
varied  in  character  as  the  elements  producing 
them.  Sometimes  the  life  qualities  of  two  good 
persons  will  produce  a  poisonous  quality,  which 
will  destroy,  sometimes  the  body,  at  other 
times  the  mind,  and  many  times  the  morals. 

Volumes  could  be  written  on  this  vital  sub- 
ject, but  we  only  suggest  thought,  and  propose 
a  remedy.  We  cjnsider  it  wrong  to  point  the 
ills  of  human  life  without  showing  the  way  to 
avoid  them;  but  when  we  would  propose  a  bet- 
ter way  we  must  first  consider  and  show  the 
cause  of  the  difficulty. 

Before  proposing  the  remedy:  —  We  have 
said  that  men  and  women  marry  without  know- 
ing whether  there  is  proper  harmony  in  the  life 
qualities;  and  why  do  they  ?  Most  people  will 
answer  this  by  asking,  How  could  they  know  ? 
Nature  has  made  abundant  provision  for  all  the 
needs  of  her  children,  and  obedience  to  her  laws 
will  establish  love,  harmony,  and  happiness. 
The  perverted  state  of  the  passions,  and  igno- 
rance on  these  subjects  has  put  up  a  barrier  be- 
tween men  and  women  so  high  that  but  few  can 
cross  it  without  dire  results.  That  barrier  is 
this^. —  In  all  society  relations  woman  has  al- 
ways to  remember  her  sex  and  the  difference 
between  herself  and  her  brother  man.  She  has 
ever  to  hold  herself  "  at  a  proper  distance,"  be 
very  careful  what  she  says,  and  especially  about 
any  expression  of  love  toward  a  man,  for  fear 
he  will  think  she  desires  sensual  gratification, 
and  that  he  will  make  advances  in  that  direc- 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSUKE   SUCCESS.       69 

tion.  This  keeps  men  and  women  strangers  to 
each  other  until  after  they  marry,  then,  oh,  how 
often  they  awake  to  the  erroneous  idea  that  all 
men  are  alike,  or  all  women  are  alike,  and  that 
all  there  is  left  of  that  holy  relation  is  mere  ani- 
mal gratification. 

There  is  something  more  in  love  than  the  ma- 
jority of  this  generation  realize.  Love  is  free; 
it  cannot  be  bound  by  any  law  except  that  of  its 
own  great  nature;  but  sensual  acts  can  and 
should  be  bound.  The  Bible  says,  "Uod  is 
love,"  also,  "God  is  good."  When  human  nat- 
ure is  free  from  the  tyrant  passion's  chains, 
then  love  will  always  be  good,  because  it  will 
always  produce  beneficial  results.  It  often  pro- 
duces the  exact  opposite  now,  because  of  the 
above-mentioned  barrier;  and  as  soon  as  that  is 
broken  down,  even  in  a  small  degree,  young 
people  who  are  full  of  life  —  love  —  are  blinded 
to  all  the  effects  in  their  own  natures,  and  cling 
together. 

Nature  has  provided  senses  that,  if  allowed 
freedom  of  action,  would,  like  the  normal  appe- 
t-te,  always  make  right  selections;  but  if  there 
be  no  choice,  that  is,  if  there  be  no  opportunity 
for  people  to  come  into  close  and  free  sympa- 
thetic relations  except  with  one  or  two  only, 
there  is  no  opportunity  to  select  the  right  one, 
and  they  are  forced  to  be  guided  in  their  selec- 
tion mainly  by  physical  appearances.  If  men 
and  women  were  known  to  be  too  honorable  to 
do  wrong  one  with  another,  then  woman  could 
approach  the  man  toward  whom  she  feels  at- 
tracted as  she  would  approach  a  most  loving 
brother,  and  he  could  receive  her  as  a  loved  sis- 
ter; and  in  the  exchange  of  that  MANLY  and 
WOMANLY  sympathy,  no  sensual  passions  blind- 


70      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE  SUCCESS. 

ing  their  sensibilities,  they  would  certainly 
learn  if  it  were  a  brotherly  and  sisterly  love 
or  a  more  sacred  love;  and  even  if  they  should 
begin  to  think  it  to  be  true  love  when  it  was 
not,  variety  of  experience  would  check  their 
ardor  and  suggest  carefulness,  and  by  the  purity 
of  ABSOLUTE  chastity  on  the  part  of  both,  the 
intuitions  would  instruct  the  intellect,  and  thus 
prevent  all  mistakes  in  marriage. 

There  is  a  love  which  few  have  known.  It  is 
a  love  that  opens  the  inner  sanctuary  of  the 
soul,  and  when  it  does,  the  sunlight  of  God's 
great  nature  shines  in  and  illuminates  the  mind, 
setting  on  fire  ("God  is  a  consuming  fire")  the 
whole  nature  of  the  individual,  consuming  all 
evil  desires  and  passions,  and  exalting  that  indi- 
vidual to  a  magnificent  man  or  woman.  Sex 
passion  is  often  mistaken  for  love,  and  more 
marriages  are  consummated  because  of  this  than 
for  any  other  reason.  There  are  many  who 
marry  for  a  home,  for  wealth  or  station;  yet 
passion  has  the  majority,  and  you,  dear  children, 
can  never  realize  what  a  terrible  monster  he  is 
until  you  have  conquered  him  and  made  him 
subject  to  your  intelligent  will.  This  monster 
is  guilty  of  ALL  the  crime,  all  the  heartaches 
and  sickness,  in  the  world.  Let  us  chain  him 
now  and  make  him  our  servant.  He  is  strong 
and  capable  of  as  much  good  service  as  he  has 
been  of  evil,  and  we  can  conquer  him  if  we  go 
to  work  in  the  right  way. 

The  right  way  is  for  you  first  to  conquer  him 
in  your  own  body,  and  while  you  are  doing  this 
teach  others  to  commence  doing  the  same. 
Young  man,  teach  some  other  young  man  or 
woman.  Let  your  sist°r  woman  know  that  you 
are  more  than  an  animal,  and  that  you  are  above 


PRACTICAL    METHODS  TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.      71 

all  animal  desires;  that  you  have  manly  honor 
which  NOTHING  can  tarnish,  and  she  will  al- 
most worship  you  as  a  god ;  but  do  not  allow 
her  weakness  to  deceive  you.  She  is  worship- 
ing the  god  manifesting  through  you,  and  not 
you,  therefore  do  not  bind  yourself  too  readily 
in  marriage,  for  if  you  do,  both  you  and  the 
one  you  have  chosen  may  regret  it.  But  go  and 
prepare  others  for  a  higher  order  of  life.  There 
are  many  opportunities  to  circulate  this  book, 
and  to  carry  these  truths  into  the  church  or 
wherever  you  can  find  a  receptive  mind ;  for 
the  more  you  talk  about  them  the  deeper  hold 
they  will  take  upon  yourself  and  the  easier  it 
will  be  for  you  to  live  them.  The  whole  tide  of 
social  life  is  now  against  these  methods,  and 
you  need  to  know  them  in  order  to  meet  this 
opposition. 

A  few  every-day  occurrences,  cited  to  illus- 
trate our  thought,  will  suffice  to  open  the  door 
to  many  discoveries,  not  before  thought  of,  in 
the  causes  of  evil.  We  have  already  noticed  the 
influence  of  love,  or  life,  emanations  through 
sympathetic  attraction ;  but  suppose  that  life 
on  the  one  side  to  be  depraved  by  sensual  habits, 
while  the  other  is  pure  and  good ;  then  the  one 
whose  life  is  pure  (as  a  consequence  of  which 
the  mind  will  be  pure  also)  is  caused  to  associate 
with  the  one  whose  mind  and  life  is  vitiated  by 
those  habits ;  the  lower  nature  of  the  one  whose 
mind  and  life  is  vitiated  will  not  only  benumb 
all  the  finer  senses  and  abilities  of  the  other, 
but  will  use  psychological  power  and  make 
every  effort  possible  to  excite  the  lower  nature, 
and  to  infilter  into  the  mind  of  that  other  base 
desires  like  unto  its  own. 

Any  person  who  is  living  a  pure  life  is  in- 
stinctively repelled  bv  a  "Libertine"  of  either 
sex  ;  but  if  the  sensuafist  happens  to  be  occupy- 
ing a  high  position  in  society,  that  repulsion  is 


72      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 

often  ignored  for  the  sake  of  position  ;  then  the 
association  rarely  fails  to  impregnate  the  pure 
mind  with  evil  desires.  Who  of  you  that  are 
chaste  in  your  habits  have  not  met  persons 
whose  company,  although  you  may  have  *been 
with  them  but  a  short  time,  has  caused  you  to 
realize  that  you  have  not  only  been  exhausted, 
but  that  your  whole  nature  seems  to  have  re- 
ceived a  vitiated  element  which  stupefies  all 
the  finer  sensations  and  mental  actions.  Few 
indeed!  !!  Here  may  fitly  be  applied  the  old 
adage,  "Evil  communications  corrupt  good 
manners."  The  mental  states,  as  well  as  the 
physical  condition,  of  one  person  is  sure  to 
affect  another,  more  or  less,  according  to  the 
degree  of  sensitiveness  and  the  passivity  of  the 
nature. 

Where  is  there  a  mother  or  a  father  who 
would  not  feel  very  anxious  about  a  son  or  a 
daughter  being  in  company  with  those  whom 
they  knew  to  be  immoral  in  their  secret  habits? 
Oh,  how  many  anxious  hours  do  good  mothers 
and  fathers  spend  when  their  children  begin  to 
go  into  society !  How  many  girls,  and  even  boys, 
are  shut  up  like  hot-house  plants,  and  never  al- 
lowed to  mingle  with  others,  for  fear  they  will 
be  misled,  the  parents  hoping  to  choose  a  com- 
panion for  them,  and  many  times  doing  so; 
and  how  many  lives  of  beautiful  children  are 
wrecked  by  it !  One  instance  of  this  kind  came 
before  me  in  early  life.  A  beautiful  girl,  be- 
longing to  a  wealthy  family,  was  kept  closely 
guarded  for  fear  of  her  being  misled  or  marrying 
some  one  beneath  her  station.  She  chanced  to 
meet  a  poor  young  man  and  loved  him  at  first 
sight.  Her  parents  would  not  allow  her  to  ac- 
cept him  as  a  husband,  desiring  her  to  marry 
some  one  whom  they  had  chosen.  Not  being 
able  to  communicate  with  the  one  she  loved, 
through  anger  and  desperation  she  eloped  with 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      73 

her  father's  colored  coachman.  She  lived  with 
the  colored  man  and  raised  a  large  family  of 
children.  This  circumstance  made  a  deep  im- 
pression on  my  mind,  and  caused  me  to  inquire 
into  and  observe  these  matters  more  closely, 
and  to  look  for  their  cause  and  cure. 


SEVENTH  LESSON. 

The  laws  that  govern  the  association  of  man 
and  woman,  and  make  that  association  a  neces- 
sity, are  neither  studied  nor  taught ;  and  not- 
withstanding they  are  the  most  important  of  all, 
because  they  govern  all  the  prenatal  conditions, 
—  yes,  the  very  nature  of  our  children, —and 
are  the  fountain  from  which  springs  all  our 
happiness  or  misery,  the  people  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  know  less  of  them  than  of  any 
other ;  and,  what  is  worse,  through  not  know- 
ing, their  natures  have  become  so  distorted  that 
they  have  no  desire  to  hear  anything  about 
them.  But  we  appeal  to  you,  Mothers  and  Fa- 
thers, if  you  have  any  parental  love,  show  it  in 
a  practical  way  by  placing  these  instructions  in 
the  hands  of  your  children.  Instead  of  trying 
to  prevent  their  reading  them  as  some  do,  and 
will, — aid  us  to  educate  them  so  that  they  may 
be  saved  from  the  pit  into  which  YOU  have 
fallen.  If  you  read  these  suggestions,  and  your 
capacity  to  think  has  not  been  destroyed,  you 
can  but  recognize  their  importance. 

The  perverted  condition  of  the  general  thought 
is  so  dense  that  but  few  can  think  except  as  the 
public  mind  leads  them.  Let  us  turn  our  at- 
tention to  some  of  the  common  experiences  of 
(74) 


PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.      75 

life,  to  some  of  those  to  which  we  have  become  so 
accustomed  that  wre  have  ceased  to  question  their 
cause,  but  content  ourselves  with  the  thought 
that  "  it  is  natural." 

The  reason  why  young  people  love  so  well  the 
pleasures  of  the  ball-room  is,  that  the  harmony 
.  of  music  and  motion  calls  into  harmonious  ac- 
tion all  the  life  forces,  so  that  in  the  touch  of 
the  hand  between  the  opposite  sexes  there  is  an 
interchange  which  neutralizes  the  true  hunger 
of  the  sex  nature,  satisfying  all  its  demands, 
and  there  is  less  liability  of  their  fall.  The  ques- 
tion might  be  asked  by  some,  Would  not  the  in- 
tensity of  the  action  of  the  life  forces,  produced 
by  the  dancing  and  promiscuous  magnetic  inter- 
change, lead  to  greater  desire  for  indulgence  of 
the  sex  nature?  to  which  I  would  reply,  that 
would  be  the  case  only  where  the  mind  and  de- 
sires were  in  that  direction  before  they  began ; 
but  if  the  desire  were  for  purity  of  life,  all  real 
demands  would  be  satisfied  without  thought  of 
sex  indulgence;  in  fact,  all  REAL  demands  are 
satisfied  in  all  cases,  the  products  of  a  sensual 
desire  being  left  with  the  base-minded  only. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  person  filled 
with  life  can  dance  about  a  carpeted  room,  and 
coming  suddenly  up  to  a  gas-burner,  light  it  with 
a  touch  of  the  finger.  This  being  true,  you  will 
readily  see  how  much  of  an  interchange  of  sex 
life  there  is  in  a  company  during  an  evening 
dance.  Realizing  this  fact,  is  it  not  enough  to 
make  any  pure-minded  person  shudder  to  see 
young,  pure  blossoms  on  the  dancing  floor  with 
the  debauchee,  who  is  perhaps  filled  with  loath- 
some disease?  although  such  a  one  may  be  con- 


76      PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    INSURE   SUCCESS. 

sidered  a  very  respectable  gentleman  (?)  because 
of  inherited  wealth  and  station. 

THE  LAW  is  this:  In  all  nature,  growth  and 
nutrition,  like  attracts  like ;  but  in  generation, 
opposites  are  attracted.  Even  the  life  emana- 
tions of  the  male  are  attracted  to  the  female,  and 
vice  versa ;  and  the  same  law  obtains  in  this  as 
in  chemistry.  As  has  already  been  stated,  when 
two  chemicals  combine,  another  substance  is 
produced.  Now,  in  the  chaste  association  of  the 
sexes,  each  will  readily  discriminate  between 
the  different  feelings  and  mental  conditions  pro- 
duced by  the  different  persons.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  one  will  set  the  brain  in  a  whirl  of 
uncertainty  and  chaos;  another  will  have  the 
effect  of  giving  mental  clearness  and  intensity, 
causing  the  mind  to  run  on  until  you  are  ex- 
hausted; another  will  cause  physical  activity 
and  so  excite  the  nervous  system  that  you  could 
not  long  endure  it,  and  another  will  excite  to 
activity  the  passions.  Thus  every  person  will 
produce  effects  peculiar  to  their  own  nature, 
and  these  effects  are  as  varied  as  the  natures  of 
individuals.  Associating  in  purity  will  furnish 
opportunities  for  each  to  study  these  effects,  and 
decide  which  will  be  most  desirable  for  lifelong 
companionship ;  and  will  overcome  all  that 
vague  ideal  which  so  often  misleads  and  de- 
ceives young  people. 

A  chemical  analysis  reveals  the  fact  that  the 
body  is  composed  of  separate  elements,  and  that 
the  different  conditions  of  individuals  are  caused 
by  different  combinations  of  these  elements; 
which  gives  full  evidence,  that  in  so  far  as  the 
combinations  of  these  elements  differ,  so  must 
the  individuals  differ  one  from  another.  There- 
fore, we  may  reasonably  argue  that  the  mind 
qualities,  as  well  as  the  life  and  magnetic  ema- 
nations, are  but  the  sublimated  chemicals  of  the 
person ;  and  if  this  be  true,  then  we  should  rea- 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO    INSURE   SUCCESS.       77 

son  upon  the  relative  effect  of  one  person  upon 
another  from  the  law  of  chemistry.  All  chem- 
ists know  that  there  are  many  mild  and  useful 
elements,  harmless  in  themselves,  which,  if  put 
together,  will  make  the  most  terrible  explosives; 
others,  deadly  poisons;  and  others  still  will  not 
combine,  but  will  continue  to  repel  each  other 
in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  unite  them.  Men  and 
women  marry  and  combine  the  elements  of  their 
bodies  to  produce  offspring.  The  query  now 
arises,  What  will  be  the  result  of  that  chemical 
combination?  We  can  find  the  answer  in  past 
experiences,  by  looking  around  us;  but  you  can 
form  a  correct  answer  when  you  watch  and 
sense  the  effect  of  that  interchange  which  al- 
ways takes  place  between  men  and  women  in 
all  ordinary  association.  For  two  persons  to 
sit  near  each  other  is  sufficient  to  create  this  in- 
terchange if  they  are  filled  with  life.  So  that 
when  the  opportunity  is  given  for  harmonious 
association  without  that  monster  sensual  desire 
being  present,  it  is  easy  to  discern  correctly 
what  will  be  the  product  of  a  more  complete  in- 
terchange. 

As  before  referred  to,  how  often  it  occurs  that 
fine-looking,  active,  brilliant  men  and  women 
marry,  and  soon  afterward  inharmony  enters ; 
one  or  the  other  becomes  indolent,  or  inclined 
to  run  into  vices ;  and  then  all  will  blame  that 
one  and  pity  the  other,  never  dreaming  that 
there  has  been  a  chemical  change  wrought,  and 
that  this  nature  has  been  created  through  im- 
proper elements  being  combined. 

The  time  has  come  for  these  things  to  be  un- 
derstood, and  if  they  are  not,  the  people  will 
rebel  against  the  laws  that  bind  men  and  women 
together ;  thereby  demanding  experience  even  to 
promiscuity,  which  will  produce  such  a  fire  of 
passion  that  the  reproduction  of  our  race  will 
cease  altogether.  Not  only  this,  but  too  in- 


78      PRACTICAL   METHODS    TO   INSURE    SUCCESS. 

tense  passion  destroys  the  mind  and  opens  the 
door  to  all  kinds  of  excesses.  We  already  see 
tliis  state  of  affairs  rapidly  gaining  ground  in 
the  world. 

But  the  thought  and  habit  of  chaste  associa- 
tion modifies  the  passions  and  precludes  all  in- 
clination for  those  soul-destroying  vices,  self- 
abuse  and  promiscuous  indulgence;  in  fact,  such 
association  would  make  them  impossible. 

Most  young  men  are  taught  by  those  older 
than  themselves  that  all  there  is  of  love,  or  even 
fondness  between  the  sexes,  is  the  desire  for  the 
sex  relation;  and  yet,  if  they  would  truly  anal- 
yze their  own  feelings,  they  would  discover 
there  a  desire  for  that  sweet  harmony  of  the 
associate  loie  of  the  opposite  sex.  Woman's  na- 
ture is  more  conjugal  love  than  sexual  desire; 
she  wants  some  one  to  love  and  caress.  That  is 
the  only  desire  of  most  young  women,  and,  in 
fact,  of  ALL  women.  The  real  ideal  in  the  heart 
of  a  young  woman  is  a  strong  man  on  whom  she 
can  lean,  and  into  whose  keeping  she  can  commit 
her  life,  to  be  controlled,  guided,  and  protected; 
one  in  whom  she  can  live  and  love  continually, 
and  who  has  manhood  enough  to  control  himself 
and  her  in  harmony  with  nature's  laws.  Could 
she  find  such  a  one  she  would  worship  him  and 
pour  through  his  organism  all  the  wealth  of  her 
mind  and  power,  thus  increasing  his  powers 
in  every  direction,  and  especially  supplement- 
ing his  brain  power,  supplying  all  deficiencies. 
This  would  continue  through  life,  providing  the 
man  had  sufficient  control  of  himself  to  refrain 
from  exhausting  her  life  through  mere  indul- 
gence of  the  senses.  For  just  as  soon  as  he  does 
this,  all  that  pure  affection  is  destroyed.  It 
may,  for  a  time,  be  turned  into  mere  passion, 


PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSUHE  SUCCESS.       79 

and  create  a  morbid  satisfaction;  but  even  this 
does  not  occur  once  in  twenty  instances;  more 
often  a  complete  repugnance  takes  its  place  in 
the  woman,  causing  her  to  withdraw  from  the 
man.  In  a  majority  of  modern  marriages,  not 
only  is  her  power  withdrawn,  but  it  is  all  turned 
against  him,  thus  becoming  a  constant  menace 
to  both;  and  many  times,  man,  through  igno- 
rance, seeks  in  more  frequent  indulgence  for  that 
something  so  valuable  to  him,  and  thereby 
brings  on  weakness,  sickness,  and  early  death. 
There  is  no  one  thing  producing  more  unhappi- 
ness,  combat,  discouragement,  drunkenness, 
crime,  and  premature  death  than  the  lack  of 
knowledge  on  this  subject, 

'Truly,  everything  is  obtainable  through  a 
chaste  life,  — a  life  of  self-control,  —  and  every- 
thing desirable  is  lost  by  indulgence.  One  hour 
of  chaste  love  between  man  and  woman  is  worth 
more  to  any  couple  than  all  the  indulgence  of  a 
long  life.  If  man  pursues  woman  and  forces 
himself  upon  her,  she  will  hate  him;  but  if  he 
is  kind  and  gentle,  and  is  careful  never  to  force 
himself  upon  her,  but  always  keep  her  mind  de- 
siring him,  she  will  worship  him,  and  give  herself 
soul,  body,  and  mind  to  him;  but  if  her  pas- 
sions are  exhausted,  she  may  respect,  but  she 
cannot  love  him. 

Every  woman  —  and  shall  I  not  say  every  man? 
(well,  there  may  be  exceptions)  — has  an  ideal 
companion  which  begins  to  take  form  and  char- 
acter in  their  minds  as  soon  as  they  arrive  at 
puberty;  the  purer  the  habit  of  life,  the  more 
perfect  is  the  image  in  the  dream-consciousness 
of  waking  as  well  as  sleeping  hours.  They  be- 
gin to  look  into  the  faces  of  everyone  they  meet 
in  search  of  that  ideal,  and  they  early  recognize 


80      PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS. 

something  in  one  and  another,  although  none 
come  up  to  the  standard  in  all  respects;  finally, 
having  been  brought  into  closer  sympathy  with 
one  w'ho  apparently  has  many  of  those  ideal 
qualities,  they,  having  110  knowledge  or  teaching 
on  these  subjects,  conclude  that  to  be  THE  one, 
and  frequently  marry,  only  to  awake  to  find  it 
but  a  dream  of  youth.  Man  will  then  turn  his 
mind  wholly  into  other  channels.  Some  plunge 
into  business  and  are  entirely  absorbed  by  it; 
others  become  reckless  of  everything;  yet  others 
seek  to  gratify  that  unsatisfied  desire  in  society, 
and  in  promiscuous  relations:  such  lives,  in  so  far 
as  any  real  satisfaction  or  happiness  is  concerned, 
are  FAILURES. 

Woman  clings  more  tenaciously  to  that  ideal 
than  man;  her  nature  being  love,  she  must  have 
some  object  to  love.  Woman,  under  the  same 
circumstances,  sooner  awakes  to  her  mistake 
than  man;  when  she  does  she  closes  up  the  inner 
sanctuary  of  her  soul  to  the  man  she  has  married 
and  lives  as  in  a  sepulcher,  or  tries  to  divert 
her  mind  by  society,  dress,  flirtation,  etc.,  etc. 
But  sooner  or  later  she  meets  some  man  who 
seems  to  fill  that  ideal,  and  when  she  does,  un- 
less the  moral  sentiment  and  love  of  reputation 
is  transcendently  strong,  she  is  ab  the  mercy  of 
that  one.  If  he  be  strong  and  manly,  she  hides 
away  in  her  soul  the  fact  of  her  love,  and  lives 
in  her  ideal,  and  continues  to  love  him  through 
life.  The  great  David  of  the  Bible  said,  "He 
was  conceived  in  sin  and  shapen  in  iniquity." 

The  seventh  commandment  says,  "  Thou  shalt 
not  commit  adultery."  Is  it  possible  to  commit 
adultery,  from  the  ordinary  understanding  of 
the  term?  Adultery  means  to  adulterate  with 
other  qualities  than  the  primate  one.  All  know 


'    PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS.       81 

the  natural  impossibility  of  two  men  associating 
in  the  production  of  a  child.  What,  then,  could 
this  commandment  mean?  To  answer  this  we 
will  relate  an  instance  which  came  to  our  notice 
about  the  time  these  thoughts  were  being  con- 
cluded in  our  mind. 

I  was  introduced  into  a  family  by  the  brother 
of  the  wife.  She  had  three  fine  children,  all  of 
whom  were  of  very  light  complexion,  while  the 
mother  was  almost  a  brunette.  I  had  not  seen 

the  husband.    I  said  to  her:  "I  suppose  Mr.  E- 

has  a  very  light  complexion."  She  answered, 
"No !  he  is  almost  as  dark  as  I  am."  This  sur- 
prised and  set  me  to  thinking  on  the  subject, 
and  I  determined  to  know  what  I  could  about 
it.  One  day  conditions  came,  and  I  asked,  "Be- 
fore marriage,  did  you  not  love  a  man  who  had 
a  light  complexion  ?"  She  hesitated  a  moment, 
but,  being  reassured,  answered,  "My  aunt  raised 
me,  and  on  coming  to  womanhood  I  promised 
her  not  to  marry  anyone  who  would  take  me 
away  from  her.  Subsequently  a  gentleman  came 
here  on  business  from  a  distant  city  and  re- 
mained some  time.  We  became  attached  to 
each  other,  and  he  wished  me  to  marry  and  go 
with  him  to  his  home;  but  I  would  not  break 

my  promise:  so  he  returned  to  C- and  I  have 

never  seen  him  since.      After  his  departure  Mr. 

E came  to  the  house,  and  in  the  course  of  time 

we  were  married."  She  repeated  the  statement, 
"  I  have  never  seen  the  gentleman  since. "  Now, 
why  did  all  those  children  resemble  her  first 
love?  Because  the  image  of  that  man  lived  in 
her  mind  and  heart;  she  loved  him.  Perhaps 

Mr.  E surfeited  her  with   his    passion,  and 

when  she  wanted  to  love  and  caress  him  he 
would  return  animal  desire,  which  killecl  out 


82      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS.    ' 

all  the  possibility  of  love  that  might  have 
been  born  if  he  had  been  strong  enough  in 
his  true  manhood  to  control  himself  and  her. 
So  ALL  her  love  went  out  to  her  first  ideal, 
and,  no  doubt,  was  reciprocated  in  his  inner 
consciousness;  and  when  she  allowed  the  wo- 
manly passion  to  act  enough  to  produce  offspring, 
her  mind  held  before  it  the  image  of  the  one 
she  really  loved;  and  from  other  experiences  we 
are  prepared  to  say  that  her  condition  in  that 
act,  which  should  be  most  sacred,  so  fully  af- 
fected him  as  to  cause  him  at  least  to  desire 
similar  relations,  and  if  his  body  was  asleep  it 
would  produce  a  dream  that  he  was  really  with 
this  lady.  Thus  the  vital  elements  of  life  were 
really  exchanged  between  them  enough  to  give 

quality  to  the  germ.    Mr.  P] could  furnish  the 

material,  but  Mr. furnished  the  essential  life. 

•  We  know  it  is  an  undeviating  law  in  all  nature 
that  every  seed  will  bring  forth  after  its  kind, 
and  we  cannot  believe  this  was  an  exception. 
In  the  above  case  there  was  real  adultery;  and 
this  is  not  an  exceptional  case  only  in  so  far  as 
conditions  made  it  more  conspicuous  to  the  eye. 
The  exceptional  cases  in  our  time  are  where 
similar  conditions  do  not  exist.  Jesus  said, 
"And  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth 
shall  make  you  free  ";  and  again,  the  same  au- 
thority says,  "  He  that  comrnitteth  sin  is  a  ser- 
vant of  sin";  and  "Sin  is  the  transgression  of 
the  law."  Therein  the  law  and  the  command- 
ment were  both  transgressed.  But  the  knowl- 
edge herein  given,  if  acted  upon,  will  open  the 
way  for  all  to  be  "  free  "  from  servitude  of  that 
most  tormenting  character,  i.  e.,  for  one  to  yield 
themselves  as  a  constant  prey  to  another  they 
do  not  and  cannot  love. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.      83 

Now,  friends,  do  not  mistake  the  object  and 
effect  of  this  teaching;  and  you  that  are  other- 
wise, do  not  be  too  hasty  to  lay  hold  on  this  as  a 
pretext  to  bias  the  minds  of  others;  for  these 
thoughts  will  be  read  and  understood,  and  then 
YOU  will  be  the  one  that  shall  stand  convicted 
of  evil. 


EIGHTH  LESSON. 

We  know  we  have  been  in  a  realm  of  thought  so  unusual 
that  it  may  call  out  some  criticism  and  doubt;  but  before 
you  condemn,  talk  with  persons  of  age  and  experience 
and  see  if  their  experience  does  not  justify  all  we  have 
said.  We  shall  now  leave  this  realm  entirely,  and  in  the 
remainder  of  these  lessons  turn  our  attention  more  di- 
rectly to  practical  methods. 

All  the  power  of  the  mind  is  dependent  upon 
the  ability  of  the  individual  to  concentrate  and 
hold  it  upon  one  subject  or  thought  as  long  as 
he  wishes.  Few  persons  realize  what  a  woful 
waste  of  mental  power  is  constantly  going  on 
within  them. 

One  seldom  meets  with  a  person  who  can  con- 
trol  his  mind  sufficiently  to  keep  it  from  wander- 
ing, when  he  wishes  to  hold  it  to  one  subject  or 
thought.  The  brain  possesses  many  organs, 
and  these  organs  act  upon  as  many  subjects  as 
their  peculiar  functions  embody.  Unless  brought 
under  the  control  of  an  educated  will,  they  are 
like  an  army  of  men  without  a  captain,  each 
acting  in  his  own  peculiar  way,  and  differently 
from  every  other  one;  thus  throwing  the  whole 
army  into  chaos  —  each  being  in  the  other's  way, 
if  not  actually  antagonistic.  Thus  the  army  is 
rendered  weaker  and  less  effectual  than  one  man 
would  be  alone. 

So  it  is  with  the  various  mind  organs;  if  they 
are  not  educated  to  work  in  concert,  the  mind 
becomes  practically  useless.  The  habit  of  care- 
less reading  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  sources 
of  distraction  of  the  mind.  In  our  present  civ- 
ilization, reading-matter  is  so  abundant  that 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO    INSURE   SUCCESS.       85 

people  are  apt  to  acquire  the  habit  of  devouring 
everything  111  the  shape  of  literature  that  comes 
in  their  way  —  spending  all  their  leisure  time  in 
reading,  merely  as  a  pastime,  without  any  idea 
of  protiting  therefrom;  this  fosters  the  habit  of 
forgotfulness. 

When  talking  with  persons  about  reading 
light,  trashy  liierature,  they  usually  answer  — 
"Oh,  it  does  not  affect  me;  I  don't  remember  it 
any  longer  than  the  time  it  takes  to  read  it." 
That  is  to  say,  they  have  drilled  themselves  in 
forgetfulness,  and.  what  is  worse,  they  have  es- 
tablished within  themselves  the  habit  of  think- 
ing to  no  purpose;  in  other  words,  the  habit  of 
abstraction  in  thought.  Now,  such  persons  can 
learn  nothing;  they  are  mere  automatons,  — ma- 
chines that  run  whenever  there  is  the  slightest 
thing  to  set  them  in  motion, — obtaining  no 
benefits,  nothing  but  the  wear  and  tear  of  the 
machinery. 

Just  image  to  yourself  the  condition  of  the 
mind  of  a  person  who  reads  or  hears  expressions 
of  thought  continually,  and  retains  nothing  of  it! 
It  can  be  seen  readily  that  such  a  mind  is  well 
drilled  to  uselessness;  so  much  so,  that  if  he 
reads  a  most  important  thought,  it  amounts  to 
nothing  to  him. 

Again,  the  habit  of  talking  a  great  deal,  and 
seeking  association  with  others  just  for  the  sake 
of  talking  and  hearing  about  matters  of  no  real 
interest,  are  the  drills  which  are  so  common  in 
society  and  in  the  habits  of  the  people  to-day, 
and  which  destroy  the  powers  of  the  mind  for 
usefulness.  To  ask  people  of  such  habits  to 
hold  their  minds  upon  one  subject  for  five  min- 
utes would  be  useless,  for  they  are  incapable  of 
doing  so.  It  must  have  been  this  state  of  mind 


86      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS. 

that  Paul  spoke  of  in  his  day,  that  was  "ever 
learning,  and  never  able  to  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth."  Such  persons  banish  so 
thoroughly  from  the  mind  everything  they  read 
or  hear,  that  the  most  practical  and  important 
ideas  suggested  to  them  fall  upon  barren  soil,  it 
never  entering  into  their  consciousness  that  they 
can  make  any  use  of  them.  Although  they 
may  say,  "Oh,  that  is  a  grand  idea,"  that  is  the 
last  of  it,  it  being  as  quickly  forgotten. 

Thus  many  a  man  and  woman  possessing  an 
active,  well-organized  brain  succeeds  in  passing 
a  long  life  of  uselessness  to  themselves  and  the 
world,  where  they  might  be  a  benefit  if  the  mind 
were  properly  concentrated.  If  this  were  all,  it 
would  not  be  so  deplorable,  but  this  condition 
of  mind  is  apt  to  throw  off  the  bridle  from  all 
the  animal  propensities,  and  give  them  perfect 
freedom  of  action.  They  live  as  mere  animals, 
living  in,  and  being  governed  by  circumstances, 
society  rules,  the  mere  imitation  of  the  habits 
of  others,  and  the  psychic  influence  of  other 
minds.  Let  such  be  placed  outside  of  the  re- 
straining influence  of  associates  and  the  fear  of 
public  opinion,  and  they  will  go  down  to  the 
level  of  their  own  sensuous  natures,  and  in  many 
cases  to  vice  and  crime:  for  they,  or  such  as 
they,  cannot  be  governed  by  the  high  moral  in- 
tegrity shown  in  the  example  of  others,  nor  by 
the  strong  will  influence  of  other  minds,  for  the 
reason  that  they  live  wholly  in  the  senses  of  the 
animal  body;  therefore  they  resist  the  restrain- 
ing influence,  although  while  in  immediate  asso- 
ciation they  may  be  subject  to  it.  Left  entirely 
to  themselves,  they  will  throw  off  the  yoke  of 
bondage  and  descend  to  the  level  of  their  own 
lower  natures.  Having  no  ability  to  control 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO  INSURE  SUCCESS.       87 

self,  they  are  too  readily  psychologized  and 
brought  under  the  control  of  the  most  vicious 
and  sensuous  minds  with  which  they  may  come 
in  contact. 

Many  persons  in  the  higher  circles  of  life  who 
read  these  words,  from  having  formed  that  vicious 
habit  of  thought  (rather  non-thought)  may  say, 
"This  is  very  good  indeed;  this  describes  the 
low  and  vulgar  very  accurately,  but,  of  course,  I 
am  above  that. "  But  you  are  not.  It  is  to  you 
that  I  bring  this  warning.  You,  being  sur- 
rounded by  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
are  held  under  the  control  of  those  circum- 
stances, in  so  far  as  your  acts  in  public  are  con- 
cerned; but  stop  and  tell  me  —  dare  you  ? — what 
are  your  private  feelings,  thoughts,  and  desires  ? 
Would  you  have  me  know  a  small  portion  of 
them  for  the  wealth  of  the  world?  and  how 
much  less  your  associates  in  general  ?  Question: 
—  To  what  do  these  thoughts  and  desires  lead  ? 

We  know  that  this  habit  of  reading  and  talk- 
ing for  mere  pastime  is  not  only  a  popular  habit, 
but  it  is  esteemed  as  cultivation  by  many.  But 
how  many  sons  and  daughters  squander  the 
wealth  inherited  from  their  parents  in  the  most 
reckless  manner  as  soon  as  they  come  into  pos- 
session of  it,  and  through  doing  so  become  mere 
vagabonds  or  tramps?  I  have  taken  it  upon 
myself  to  visit  and  talk  with  those  who  frequent 
such  places  as  *'The  Sunday  Morning  Breakfast 
Association,"  where  hundreds  of  these  unfortu- 
nates go  merely  to  get  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  piece 
of  bread,  and,  by  careful  investigation,  I  have 
found  that  nearly  ninety  per  cent  of  them  were 
born  of  well-to-do  parents,  and  that  fully  twent 
ty-five  per  cent  were  college  graduates  with  di- 
plomas; this  deplorable  condition  having  been 


P9      PRACTICAL  METHODS  TO   INSURE  SUCCESS. 

brought  about  by  the  above-described  habits. 
Not  that  the  habit  of  reading  without  thought, 
or  talking  to  no  purpose,  will  of  itself  produce 
this  condition,  but  it  produces  a  condition  in  the 
mind  (which  is  all  there  is  of  the  real  man  or 
woman's  conscious  self-hood)  that  will  inev- 
itably lead  to  such  results  sooner  or  later. 

We  have  shown  this  one  source  of  mental  dis- 
traction in  order  to  reach  that  class  of  minds 
that  we  have  been  describing.  For  they  who 
think  they  have  no  need  of  this  instruction  are 
the  ones  who  need  it  most.  \ 

Mental  concentration  must  become  a  habit,  in 
order  to  make  it  available.  To  do  this  we  first 
advise  that  persons  should  be  very  careful  as  to 
what  they  read,  and  in  the  second  place,  as  to 
how  they  read.  To  begin  with,  you  should  read 
nothing  but  thoughts  worth  thinking  about,  and 
that  will  aid  you  in  storing  the  mind  with  use- 
ful knowledge.  Of  course  there  is  great  diver- 
sity of  mind,  and  this  being  so,  in  telling  you 
how  to  read,  it  is  difficult  to  give  instructions 
that  will  suit  all  classes. 

Persons  born  between  April  19th  and  May 
20th,  also  those  born  between  September  23rd 
and  November  22nd,  should  carefully  determine, 
first,  as  to  what  line  of  thought  they  wish  to 
memorize,  keeping  ever  before  the  mind  the 
practical  use  they  wish  to  make  of  the  ideas  they 
are  collecting.  As  nearly  all  books  contain  as 
much  rubbish  as  valuable  thought,  which  makes 
it  doubly  important  that  they  should  know  what 
they  are  looking  for,  they  should  scan  the  pages 
rapidly,  repelling  all  ideas  that  are  not  use- 
ful; and  when  one  is  reached  that  is  useful,  it 
should  be  read  slowly,  in  a  musing  attitude  of 
mind;  and  as  soon  as  the  idea  is  fully  impressed 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE  SUCCESS.       89 

upon  the  mind,  stop  reading.  Then  take  the 
thought,  and  in  imagination  use  it  in  a  practical 
way  in  connection  with  what  you  have  previous- 
ly learned  on  that  or  similar  subjects.  In  order 
to  illustrate  this;  suppose  you  are  studying 
chemistry;  when  you  have  grasped  an  idea,  sit 
back,  close  the  eyes,  and  in  imagination  make 
the  experiment  in  every  way  that  you  can  im- 
agine it  could  be  made  useful.  Better  still,  if 
the  opportunity  presents  for  you  to  make  a  prac- 
tical experiment,  do  so;  but  if  it  does  not,  doing 
it  perfectly  in  imagination  will  impress  it  upon 
your  mind  almost  as  completely  as  if  you  had 
worked  it  out  in  practice.  Be  careful  not  to 
carry  along  too  many  lines  of  study.  Take,  as 
far  as  you  can,  one  line,  and  ultimate  that  be- 
fore you  begin  another. 

Persons  born  at  any  other  period  of  the  year, 
before  they  begin  on  any  specific  line  of  study, 
should  first  decide  in  the  mind,  after  careful 
thought  and  self-examination,  what  character 
of  knowledge  would  be  most  useful  and  desir- 
able to  them.  To  do  this  it  is  necessary  to  take 
a  great  deal  of  time  alone,  away  from  the  men- 
tal atmosphere  of  all  persons,  as  far  as  possible. 
Sit  quietly  and  focalize  the  mind  upon  the  va- 
rious spheres  of  usefulness  occupied  by  men  with 
whom  you  have  been  brought  in  contact.  Bring 
up  the  various  spheres  of  action  they  have  been 
thrown  into,  and  determine  whether  they  would 
suit  you. 

All  young  persons  should  have  an  opportunity 
of  carefully  studying  the  nature  and  require- 
ments of  every  department  of  business,  by  going 
where  such  business  is  carried  on,  thus  eu- 
•  abling  them  to  form  accurate  conclusions  both  as 
to  what  business  pursuits  they  desire  to  follow, 


90 


PRACTICAL    METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS. 


and,  what  is  more  important,  as  to  the  practical 
value  they  will  gain.  Of  course,  this  would 
take  considerable  time,  but  not  so  much  as  a 
college  education  in  a  profession  for  which  they 
have  neither  inclination  nor  adaptability. 

There  is  usually  too  much  haste  to  fit  children 
for  some  profession,  and  parents  are  too  apt  to 
choose  for  the  child  without  properly  counseling 
its  desires  and  adaptability  for  what  they  have 
m  view.      Where  such  is  the  case,  the   child 
hiving  no  idea  of  the  value  of  the  knowledge 
received,   simply  studies   to  recite    the  lesson 
and  when  done,  it  is  thrown  off  as  effectually  in 
many  cases  as  if  it  had  never  been  learned.     It 
is  an  old    adage  —  "  You  can  lead  a  horse   to 
water,   but  you  can't  make  him  drink."    You 
may  send  a  child  to  school  or  college  and  compel 
it  to  memorize  its  lessons,  but  you  cannot  com- 
pel  it  to  retain  them,  much  less  to  receive  the 
p  acticai  value  of  something  for  which  it  is  not 
adapted  and  which  it  will  not  use.     Such  educa- 
tion amounts  to  nothing  but  the  creation  of  a 
habit,  of  either  mere  imitativeness  or  distraction 
of  the  mind. 

When  the  proper  vocation  is  selected,  then  the 
mind  will  have  a  definite  object,  and  a  good  and 
sufficient  reason  for  searching  after  knowledge 
and  retaining  it.  The  human  mind  is  so  consti- 
tuted that  it  cannot  search  after  and  retain 
ideas  for  which  it  has  no  conscious  use. 

Whatever  means  can  be  employed  to  produce 
a  consciousness  of  the  need  of  knowledge  will 
strengthen  the  powers  of  concentration  and  re- 
tention. 

A  person  of  a  scientific  or  philosophic  turn  of 
mind  should  read  only  to  search  out  suggestive 
thoughts  to  think  over  and  work  out.  This 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       91 

leads  the  mind  into  originative  habits;  which  is 
i-eally  the  only  method  of  study  that  will  aid  in 
the  individualization  of  one's  self.  We  believe 
that  no  person  should  accept  as  final  any  scien- 
tific conclusion  drawn  by  another;  but  we 
should  always  receive  it  and  hold  it  subject  to 
our  own  tests.  We  know,  of  course,  that  we 
should  all  profit  by  the  experiences  of  others; 
but  we  should  always  hold  them  tacitly,  until 
we  have  fully  proven  in  our  own  minds  that  the 
conclusions  drawn  from  those  experiences  are 
correct. 

METHODS   TO    DEVELOP   CONCENTRATIVENESS. 

Practice  reading  where  people  are  talking 
around  you.  The  greater  the  difficulty  in  read- 
ing and  understanding  under  such  circum- 
stances, the  greater  the  need  in  your  case  for 
persistence. 

Remember,  it  is  not  enough  to  read  the  words; 
you  should  take  some  subject-matter  in  which 
you  are  interested,  and,  as  I  said  before,  sit 
where  others  are  talking,  make  your  mind  per- 
fectly oblivious  to  everything  except  that  which 
you  are  reading,  and  read  to  understand.  I 
would  advise  that  you  persist  in  it,  even  though 
you  find  it  necessary  to  re-read  a  sentence  many 
times.  Hold  your  mind  to  it,  and  continue. 
Get  your  mind  so  firmly  fixed  on  the  thought 
you  are  reading  that  if  anyone  should  speak  to 
you,  you  could  answer  and  go  right  on  with  the 
thought  without  being  disturbed  by  the  inter- 
ruption. This  will  aid  you  to  take  the  second 
and  further  step  of  carrying  on  a  consecutive 
line  of  thought  wherever  you  are,  independent 
of  circumstances,  —  but  the  mind  must  be  edu- 
cated to  do  this* 


2       ^RACTICAL    METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS. 

One  of  the  best  methods  for  educating  the 
mind  in  concentrativeuess  is  to  take  all  your 
spare  time  alone  in  your  room  and  write  down 
thoughts  that  will  be  of  practical  value  to  others. 
You  will  find  by  the  effort  to  serve  others  that 

you  will  serve  yourself  most.     Ask  yourself 

How  can  I  serve  others  to  the  best  advantage  ? 
Cast  about  among  your  associates  and  acquamt- 
ances,  see  where  they  are  laboring  at  a  disad- 
vantage, and  how  they  are  bringing  upon  them- 
selves trouble,  anxiety,  and  sickness. 

Search  out  from  within  yourself  the  remedy 
for  such  difficulties,  or  in  other  words,  a  proper 
course  of  life  which  will  remedy  the  evil,  then 
write  those  thoughts  out  clearly  and  practically, 
and  you  may  depend  upon  it,  if  you  have  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a  line  of  thought  that  is  needed 
by  the  people,  a  way  will  be  opened  for  you  to 
place  it  before  them.  But  here  we  meet  two 
classes  of  minds;  one,  that  is  too  reticent  about 
offering  his  thought  to  the  public,  no  matter  how 
valuable  it  may  be;  and  another,  too  ready,  and 
even  persistent,  in  presenting  premature  and 
therefore  worthless  thought  for  public  notice. 
By  careful  consideration  of  the  subject  you  will 
readily  discern  to  which  class  you  belong. 

It  is  a  law  in  nature  that  wherever  there  is  a 
need  there  is  also  a  supply.  The  evidence  of 
this  is  found  in  the  fact  that  there  is  a  demand 
for  that  which  is  needed;  and  if  you  have  it,  it 
will  be  acceptable,  even  sought  for,  and  there 
will  be  no  difficulty  in  your  being  enabled  to 
serve  thereby  an  important  use.  . 

Remember  this;  if  no  one  else  derives  any 
profit  from  your  best  efforts  to  help  them,  you 
will  be  forming  the  habit  of  consecutive,  orderly, 
and  reasonable  thought. 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       93 

This  is  the  prerequisite  to  genuine  manhood 
and  a  successful  career  in  any  department  of  Lfe. 
Without  this,  no  man  can  rise  above  the  com- 
mon level  of  the  masses,  but  will  remain  as  a 
mere  server  in  a  menial  sphere. 

Remember  that  mind  is  the  most  valuable  of 
all  things  in  the  world,  and  that  the  mind  with 
the  greatest  capacity  and  the  greatest  willing- 
ness to  be  of  use  to  the  many  is  the  one  that  is 
always  sought  for  to  occupy  high  and  important 
spheres  of  usefulness,  and  the  one  that  will  be 
honored  and  remunerated  accordingly. 

The  habit  of  carrying  on  a  line  of  thought  in 
your  own  mind,  weighing  and  balancing  every- 
thing accurately,  is  very  essential  to  the  devel- 
opment of  mind-power.  A  few  illustrations 
may  be  of  profit  to  you.  If  you  are  proposing 
to  build  anything  —  say  a  house  —  build  it  first, 
completely  and  perfectly,  in  your  own  imagina- 
tion, lay  the  foundation,  measure  each  piece, 
and  go  right  through  the  process  of  building  it, 
as  if  literally  doing  so.  Measure  all  the  lumber 
in  your  mind,  making  a  memorandum  with  pen- 
cil and  paper  as  to  how  much  of  each  kind  you 
will  require  —  lengths,  widths,  etc.  Thus  go 
through  every  part  mentally  until  you  see  the 
house  complete  and  perfect.  Then  if  you  wish 
to  draw  a  plan  of  it  afterwards,  you  are  prepared 
to  do  so.  If  it  is  a  machine  you  purpose  to  build, 
calculate  mentally  how  many  revolutions  each 
wheel  will  be  necessitated  to  make,  what  their 
sizes,  etc. ;  going  through  the  entire  process  of 
building  it,  and  the  calculation  of  speed,  until 
you  see  the  machine  standing  perfect  before  your 
imagination.  Then  hold  it  before  the  mind,  go 
over  it  a  second  time,  and  make  sure  that  it  is 
perfect,  searching  out  all  deficiencies. 


94      PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE    SUCCESS. 

Again,  if  you  are  going  into  a  business  where 
book-keeping  is  essential,  place  your  mind  upon 
the  object  to  be  attained  by  the  keeping  of  the 
books.  You  know  that  the  object  of  book-keep- 
ing is  to  know  accurately  where  all  goods  go  to; 
how  much  is  derived  from  the  sale  of  same;  how 
much  protit  is  gained  thereby,  and  how  every 
man's  account  stands  that  deal  with  you.  Then 
the  question  is  clear  before  you  mind,  How  can 
I  accomplish  this? 

With  this  thought  clearly  defined  in  your 
own  mind,  you  can  take  up  any  one  of  the  varied 
systems  of  book-keeping,  and  learn  it,  simply 
by  carefully  examining  the  methods  by  which 
results  are  obtained.  When  you  are  looking  for 
results,  the  methods  by  which  to  obtain  those 
results  present  themselves  to  your  mind  with- 
out difficulty.  Then  the  only  thing  requisite 
after  you  have  gone  over  the  minutiae  is  to  take 
up  each  branch  in  your  imagination,  with  the 
thought  in  view  of  how  to  obtain  correct  results, 
and  carry  it  out  to  its  ultimate. 

This  method  of  concentrating  and  holding 
fixedly  to  whatever  interests,  with  the  thought 
in  mind  of  methods  for  accomplishing  desired 
results,  will  make  everything  easy  to  you. 

By  being  able  to  concentrate  and  hold  tho 
mind  upon  a  given  subject  or  thought  without 
wavering,  powers  are  attainable  transcending 
the  ordinary  idea  of  what  is  possible. 

It  was  well  known  to  most  ancients,  that  as 
soon  as  a  thought  concerning  anything,  and  a 
knowledge  of  where  that  thing  belonged,  came 
to  one,  by  concentrating  the  mind  upon  it  and 
holding  it  there  steadfastly,  all  the  knowledge 
concerning  it  could  and  would  be  obtained. 

By  careful  consideration  and  application  of 


PRACTICAL   METHODS  TO   INSURE   SUCCESS.       9- 

these  truths,  you  will  be  able  to  think,  also  to 
form  the  habit  of  thinking  from  your  own  voli- 
tion; that  is,  to  think  when  you  wish  to  think; 
and  you  will  also  know  how  to  stop  when  you 
wish  to.  This,  by  the  way,  is  just  as  essential 
iii  some  instances  as  to  know  how  to  think. 
Many  a  person  has  destroyed  himself  through 
inability  to  stop  thinking. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  takes  as 
much  vitality  to  think  as  it  does  to  do  physical 
labor.  It  is  therefore  just  as  essential  to  be 
able  to  rest  from  thought  when  one  wishes  to 
do  so,  as  it  is  to  be  able  to  stop  work  when  one 
is  tired. 

Study  the  methods  by  which  you  begin  and 
carry  on  the  work  of  thought;  also  the  methods 
by  which  you  can  stop  thinking. 

Observe  the  difference  between  the  thoughts 
of  a  concentrated  mind,  and  those  that  arise  in 
the  feelings.  For  instance;  after  you  have  been 
intense  in  thought  for  a  time,  quickly  turn  from 
it  and  take  recreation.  Play  and  amuse  your- 
self in  mirthfulness,  but  as  you  do  so,  observe 
the  change  in  your  feelings  and  mentality.  See 
if  you  can,  in  the  midst  of  your  mirthfulness, 
change  instantaneously  to  a  condition  of  thought- 
fulness  and  then  again  back  to  mirthfulness, 
observing  carefully  the  process  by  which  these 
things  are  done.  This  will  open  the  door  mor« 
quickly  and  directly  to  self-knowledge  than  any- 
thing that  you  can  do. 

We  would  advise  that  you  not  only  observe 
the  method  by  which  you  think  or  stop  think- 
ing, but  also  observe  carefully  every  sensation, 
feeling,  and  emotion  of  the  body,  searching  care- 
fully to  find  the  cause.  Examine  closely  and 
see  if  you  cannot  discover  the  thought  that  pro* 


96       PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO   INSURE  SUCCESS. 

duced  the  sensation  or  emotion;  also  the  thought 
that  will  change  or  stop  it.  Herein  will  be  found 
the  keys  to  perpetual  health;  for  the  mind  ori- 
ginally created  the  body,  and  the  educated  mind 
is  capable  of  perpetuating  it. 

After  ascertaining  the  thought  that  produces  a 
sensation  and  the  method  by  which  you  change 
or  stop  it,  you  will  be  able  linally  to  determine 
the  cause  of  disease  by  the  changes  of  thought 
and  feeling.  True  it  is,  as  one  of  the  ancients 
said,  "Man  only  begins  to  live  when  he  begins 
to  think,"  for  until  then  he  is  but  an  animal. 
As  we  stated  in  a  former  chapter,  all  pleasures 
arising  in  the  senses,  unguided  by  the  edu- 
cated mind  according  to  the  law  of  use,  will 
inevitably  bring  pain;  but  all  pleasures  arising 
in  the  thought  of  a  well-ordered  mind  are  like 
those  of  the  angels,  bringing  lasting  profit  and 
pleasure. 

By  applying  the  methods  we  have  given  for 
conquering  the  controlling  power  of  habit  in 
everything,  even  to  the  generative  principle, 
and  by  the  retention  of  the  life  forces  generated 
in  the  body,  all  the  capacities  of  mind  and  body 
will  be  increased,  intensified,  and  illuminated, 
so  that  the  most  ordinary  person  applying  these 
instructions  will  become  transcendently  superior 
to  the  most  highly  organized  person  not  doing 
so;  and  will  be  enabled  to  see  that  life  has  an 
object  worth  living  for. 

THE  NEW  MEMORY 

The  reason  we  say  new  memory,  is  because 
the  old,  or  the  memory  which  has  characterized 
the  world  in  the  past,  is  the  same  that  is  mani- 
fest in.  the  animal  world;  which  is  wholly  a 


PRACTICAL    METHODS  TO  OSU11E  SUCCESS.       97 

thing  of  the  senses,  is  limited  by  the  amount  of 
impression  made  upon  the  consciousness,  and  is 
governed  either  by  fear  or  desire,  which  are  the 
prompters  of  attention.  Man  has  now  risen 
aUuve  the  point  of  being  controlled  wholly  by 
the  animal  passions  and  desires,  and  in  so  far  as 
he  has,  he  liiids  that  his  memory  fails  him. 

Again,  all  persons  are  driven  by  the  force  of 
circumstances  with  a  rapidity  far  in  excess  of 
anything  in  the  history  of  the  past;  so  much 
more,  indeed,  that  persons  in  the  ordinary 
spheres  of  usefulness  now  have  as  many  tilings 
to  retain  in  memory  and  give  attention  to  in  one 
day  as  our  ancestors  of  a  hundred  years  ago  nad 
in  one  week. 

The  keenest  and  most  practical  business 
minds  have  intuitively  discovered  the  new  mem- 
ory process,  which  is  based  on  the  order  and  re- 
lation of  one  thing  to  another;  that  is,  it  is 
found  that  a  man  who  is  in  business,  and  has  a 
great  variety  of  things  to  attend  to,  is  necessi- 
tated to  have  everything  in  perfect  order;  other- 
wise many  things  will  be  overlooked.  The  pro- 
cesses that  we  have  given  you  in  former  lessons 
for  strengthening  the  mind  and  increasing  its 
capacities  lay  a  substantial  foundation  for  this 
new  memory  process,  which  is  based  entirely 
upon  the  law  of  order. 

Order  is  the  great  factor  in  all  nature;  every 
plant  and  animal,  and  even  the  universal  mind, 
is  distinguished  and  diversified  by  this  law: 
for  instance,  if  we  plant  a  kernel  of  corn  in  the 
ground,  from  the  time  it  is  up  out  of  the  ground 
until  it  is  fully  matured,  its  form  expresses  its 
distinctive  features,  distinguishing  it  from  all 
other  plants. 

The  human  mind  has  become  accustomed  to 


98         PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    IJSSURE   SUCCESS. 

distinguishing  the  quality  and  nature  of  all 
things  by  the  form.  This  has  been  carried  to 
great  extremes  in  the  human  mind;  to  such  ex- 
tremes, in  fact,  that  if  we  look  into  the  face  of 
a  man  or  a  woman,  the  form,  color,  and  even 
the  differing  changes  of  expression  are  recog- 
nized, and  the  disposition  producing  them  de- 
fined. 

Were  it  not  for  this  undeviating  law  of  order 
in  nature,  such  things  would  be  impossible.  As 
this  is  the  principle  in  nature  with  which  we 
have  become  most  familiar,  it  is  the  strongest 
faculty  of  the  human  mind;  and  with  a  little 
observation  of  its  character  and  methods  of  ac- 
tion, and  with  culture,  it  can  be  developed  to  a 
marvelous  extent. 

As  we  lay  the  foundation  for  memory,  we  ne- 
cessarily lay  the  foundation  for  the  development 
of  powers  that  heretofore  have  been  associated 
with  the  marvelous  or  magical.  The  old  maxim, 
"A  place  for  everything,  and  everything  in  its 
place,"  comes  in  just  here,  as  a  foundation  for 
making  a  clear  mind  and  a  retentive  memory. 
But  it  must  be  carried  beyond  the  merely  ma- 
terial things  that  we  are  handling  and  have 
about  us;  it  must  have  special  relation  to  the 
mental  process.  Whatever  sphere  of  life  you  now 
occupy  or  expect  to  occupy,  study  to  know  all 
about  it  in  every  particular,  classifying  every 
branch,  so  that  everything  relating  to  it  will  be 
to  your  mind  as  a  beautiful  picture,  whose  con- 
figuration can  be  drawn  up  before  the  mind's 
eye  at  any  time,  and  any  and  all  parts,  down  to 
the  smallest  minutiae,  be  seen  with  the  imagina- 
tion. 

When  this  picture  is  thus  perfected  in  your 
mind,  or  even  while  in  process  of  perfection, 


PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.          99 

whenever  a  new  idea  is  obtained,  call  up  the 
picture  and  put  the  addition  to  it,  and  impress 
upon  your  consciousness  what  it  is  that  you  have 
put  there,  and  what  use  it  is  to  serve.  You  can 
then  at  any  time  instantly  bring  the  picture  be- 
fore your  mind,  and  see  in  your  imagination  any 
and  all  things  which  you  have  known.  This  is 
memory. 

Now,  a  person  may  make  as  many  pictures 
in  this  way  as  they  have  diverse  lines  of  thought. 
If  the  pictures  become  numerous,  to  facili- 
tate the  process  of  calling  up  the  image  of  the 
one  you  want,  you  can  make  one  central  figure, 
with  all  the  others  mere  branches  of  that  one, 
and  arrange  them  around  it  in  unchangeable 
order;  then  all  you  will  need  to  remember  is 
the  order  in  which  they  are  arranged.  Your 
mental  vision  can  instantly  perceive  the  one 
that  you  wish  to  call  up,  and  as  soon  as  this  is 
done,  the  mind  will  quickly  grasp  all  the  minor 
points  pertaining  to  it,  and  the  thing  that  you 
wish  to  recall  will  be  before  the  mind's  eye  as 
soon  as  you  think  of  the  image.  These  memory 
pictures  will  involuntarily  unite  with  the  cen- 
tral one  we  have  just  referred  to.  This  central 
one  will  be  like  a  person's  home.  It  will  ex- 
press the  real  character  of  the  person  and  his 
business  qualifications,  and  will  be,  in  fact,  a 
picture  of  the  sphere  of  life  for  which  he  is  best 
adapted,  Ivi^v  are  asking,  for  what  sphere  of 
use  they  are  be^  adapted.  This  method  will 
answer  the  questio*.  beyond  doubt.  Having 
established  the  habit  o^  associating  everything 
that  you  know,  and  every  -\ew  idea  you  have 
obtained  with  one  of  these  pictures  or  diagrams, 
then  you  will  have  arranged  your  mental  fac- 
ulties in  an  orderly  condition  for, — 


100       PRACTICAL    METHODS    TO    INSURE    SUCCESS. 

RECOLLECTION.     (Tfe-collection.) 

The  word  "  recollection  "  carries  with  it  the 
idea  of  again  calling  in  memories  of  occurrences, 
or  thoughts  concerning  occurrences  \vhich  have 
happened.  The  collection  of  thoughts  is  the 
ordinary  mental  action,  and  the  re-collection  of 
thoughts  is  the  process  of  calling  them  back  after 
they  have  gone  out,  and  is  the  method  of  mem- 
ory. The  word  "memory"  has  a  different 
meaning. 

To  remember  a  thing  or  occurrence,  we  first 
recall  (call  back)  to  the  mental  consciousness: 
then  you  remember  the  picture;  that  is,  you 
put  member  to  member  in  its  order  as  it  oc- 
curred. Thus  you  perceive  that  the  process  of 
mentality  is  the  calling  in  of  thoughts,  or  cre- 
ation of  the  same  and  putting  them  together  in 
an  orderly  structure,  which  is  an  image  —  an 
imagination;  that  is,  an  image  made  of  some- 
thing new  that  you  are  thinking  about,  or  of 
something  that  has  already  occurred. 

Now,  it  is  plain  that  these  two  processes  of 
mind  are  those  which  we  wish  to  handle.  One 
is  the  memory  or  order  in  which  everything  nat- 
urally belongs.  The  other  is  the  calling  in,  — 
collecting  thoughts  concerning  things,  laws  or 
principles,  as  material  out  of  which  to  build 
something.  Now,  that  something  which  is 
built  may  be  the  rebuilding  of  something  that 
has  been  built  by  another  mind,  which  is  merely 
imitation;  or  it  may  be  the  creation  of  some- 
thing that  has  not  before  existed  (in  so  far  as  is 
known  to  the  individual),  which  denotes  the 
originative  or  creative  mind. 

When  you  have  comprehended  the  previous 
lesson  clearly,  and  have  your  mentality  in  order, 


PRACTICAL   METHODS   TO    INSURE    SUCCESS.        10] 

(that  is,  diagram  or  picture,)  then  the  utility 
and  beauty  of  these  thoughts  will  be  clearly 
manifest  to  your  mind,  and  you  will  be  in  a 
condition  to  begin  to  handle  these  faculties  at 
will,  as  easily  as  a  mechanic  handles  his  tools. 

" Room,  room  for  the  freed  spirit!    Let  it  fling 
Its  pinions,  worn  with  bondage,  once  more  wide; 
And  if  in  earth  or  air  there  is  a  thing 
To  stay  its  soarings,  let  the  heavens  chide 
Away  the  silken  bondage  of  young  dreams. 
No  more  in  gentle  dalliance  I  '11  lay 
My  hand  upon  my  lute,  like  one  who  seems 
In  half  unconscious  idleness  to  play;    • 

"  But  all  there  is  in  me  of  loving  soul, 
Of  high,  proud  daring  or  intrinsic  trust, 
Shall  not  be  subject  longer  to  control; 
For  my  desire  is  upward,  and  I  must 
Spurn  back  the  fetters  of  the  slothful  past 
As  a  loosened  captive  tramples  on  his  chain; 
From  now  henceforth  my  destiny  is  cast, 
And  what  I  will,  I  surely  shall  attain. 

"  Onward  and  upward,  strengthening  in  their  flight, 
My  thoughts  must  all  be  •  eagle  thoughts,'  nor  bend 
Their  pinions  downward,  until  on  the  height 
That  nurses  Helicon's  pure  fount  I  stand. 
Onward  my  soul!  and  neither  shrink  nor  turn; 
Be  cold  to  pleasure  and  be  calm  to  pain ; 
However  much  the  yielding  heart  may  yearn, 
Listen  not;  listen  not:  it  is  vain. 

"Upward;  *  a  feeling  like  the  sense  of  wings,' 
A  proud,  triumphant  feeling,  buoys  me  up, 
And  my  soul  drinks  refreshment  from  the  streams 
That  fill  forever  Joy's  enchanted  cup. 
A  glorious  sense  of  power  within  me  lies; 
A  knowledge  of  my  yet  untried  strength; 
And  my  impatient  spirit  sighs 
For  the  far  goal,  to  be  attained  at  length." 

(THE  END.) 


THE  ESOTERIC. 

A  50-pag'e  monthly  magazine  devoted  wholly 
to  methods  of  self-culture  and  attainment  of 
added  powers  of  body,  mind  and  spirit.  It  deals 
scientifically  with  the  laws  of  nature  and  their 
relation  to  human  life.  It  has  no  alliance  with 
any  class  or  sect  of  people,  but  aims  to  give  that 
which  will  be  of  the  greatest  possible  use  to  all, 
carefully  avoiding-  points  of  doctrine  that  would 
be  liable  to  give  offense  to  any.  All  the  laws 
and  methods  taught  are  demonstrated  facts,  not 
experiments.  We  accept  as  a  foundation  of  all, 
the  following- :  God  is  the  Creator  of  all  thing's ; 
therefore,  all  laws,  physical,  mental  or  spiritual, 
are  but  the  potency  of  the  divine  mind.  To 
know  that  mind  (or  the  laws  or  methods  pro- 
duced by  its  action,  which  is  divine),  is  the  high- 
est physical,  mental  and  spiritual  attainment  of 
man.  Because  of  this  we  study  every  depart- 
ment of  nature,  and  endeavor  to  give  to  the 
world  such  facts  as  we  deem  most  advantageous 
in  the  development  of  our  race. 

Published  by  THE  ESOTERIC  PUBLISHING  Co. , 
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The  Seven  Creative  Principles. 

BY  H.  E.  BUTLER. 

This  book  should  be  read  by  every  stu- 
dent aud  thinker.  It  explain*  the  laws  of 
nature  in  a  scientific  and  lucid  manner.  It 
makes  clear  tnc  process  of  •volution  and 
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The  Narrow  Way  of  Attainment, 

A  course  of  lectures  delivered  before 
.;he  Society  Esoteric  by  H.  E.  Butler. 

Tliis  work  teaches  not  only  the  methods  em- 
ployed by  the  old  Egyptian  Masters  to  develop 
soul-consciousness,  but  makes  plain  the  higher 
cult  taught  by  Jesus  the  Christ. 

Every  person  who  will  follow  the  simple  rules 
laid  down  in  this  work,  -will  develop  mind  and 
soul  powers  that  will  permit  them  to  explore 
realms  unknown  to  material  man. 

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acter, Diagnosing  Disease, 

Determining    Mental,   Physical  and 

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Adaptability,   etc.,    from 

Date  of   Birth. 

ByH.E,BUTLEB, 

ILLUSTRATED 

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